US officials to visit Islamabad
Pakistan and the United States are engaged in discussions on various matters, including the Afghan situation, as revealed by the Foreign Office in a statement released on Sunday. The Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated that both countries are actively participating in reciprocal visits to expedite the consultation process. Significant US officials to visit Islamabad in the upcoming days, according to Baloch.
In recent developments, Pakistan has consistently held Kabul responsible for escalating terrorist attacks and the use of Afghan resources to carry out assaults in its neighboring nation. Pakistan has also requested the extradition of Hafiz Gul Bahadur from the Taliban-led government after an attack by a group associated with him in Bannu. The attack on November 26 by an Afghan suicide bomber on a security forces convoy resulted in the martyrdom of two civilians and injuries to 10 individuals, including three soldiers.
Pakistan has been deporting illegal Afghan citizens, citing an increase in terrorist incidents within its borders. The statement further indicated that Julieta Valls Noyes, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, is scheduled to visit Pakistan from December 4 to 6. During her visit, Noyes is set to engage with senior government officials, non-governmental entities, and international organizations to discuss joint efforts in safeguarding vulnerable individuals and expediting the secure relocation and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. immigration process.
Furthermore, the Foreign Office spokesperson announced that Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West is slated to visit Islamabad from December 7 to 9, while Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Pakistan Elizabeth Horst will make a visit from December 9 to 12. Emphasizing that these visits are part of the ongoing negotiations with the U.S. on various issues, including the Afghan situation, the spokesperson clarified that the discussions extend beyond the scope of Afghanistan alone.