Pakistan has upgraded its Kabul diplomatic post to full ambassadorial status, Islamabad's top diplomat announced on Friday.
Ishaq Dar said bilateral ties with Afghanistan "are on a positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with Pakistan's delegation on 19th April 2025."
"To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé d'Affaires in Kabul to the level of Ambassador," Dar said on X.
Afghan deputy economy minister seeks amicable relations with major powers, strengthened ties with Tokyo for industry development
Dar had met with Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan’s Taliban-led interim foreign minister, in the Afghan capital Kabul last month.
"I am confident this step would further contribute towards enhanced engagement, deepen Pak-Afghan cooperation in economic, security, CT (counterterrorism), and trade areas, and promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries," said the Pakistani top diplomat.
Pakistan's special representative to Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, said the new step would "promote bilateral cooperation in all fields to the benefit of their two peoples and peace and progress of their region."
Pakistan's diplomatic mission in Kabul was until now headed by a chargé d'affaires.
The Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021, after the fall of the Western-backed regime, as all the US-led foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan. No UN member has recognised the Taliban interim administration.
Islamabad's decision to upgrade ties with the appointment of a full ambassador comes after an informal trilateral meeting of top diplomats hosted by Beijing last week.
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed in principle to appoint ambassadors as soon as possible, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after talks with Muttaqi and Dar.
The three sides had also agreed to extend the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said.
Since their return to power, China had accepted a full-fledged ambassador from Taliban-led interim administration in Afghanistan.
