After a prolonged and bitter standoff, Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are back at the table, negotiating to mend their frayed relations.

The two countries have taken tentative steps toward normalisation, marked by the recent appointment of full-time ambassadors in each other’s capitals.

Credit for this diplomatic thaw largely goes to China, which hosted and facilitated an informal trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Beijing on May 21. That gathering helped thaw the ice between Islamabad and Kabul.

Diplomatic circles in Pakistan see it as a “meaningful move”. While it falls short of full recognition of the Afghan Taliban as the legitimate rulers, it tacitly acknowledges them as the de facto government.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, announced the appointment of a full-time ambassador to Kabul while he was in Hong Kong.

This signalled a shift from Islamabad’s previous posture of waiting for a green light from the US-led Western bloc.

Though formal recognition remains elusive, the move reflects a significant shift in policy, one that aligns with growing regional acceptance of the Taliban government.

China leads, others follow

China, which upgraded diplomatic ties with the Afghan Taliban in 2023, has already made huge investments, especially in Afghanistan’s mining sector.

Now Beijing enjoys influence in Kabul as it emerged as the biggest player in this land-locked nation following the departure of the US-led NATO forces.

China has also........

© TRT World