The State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang of China will be heading to Islamabad after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa, later this week. The Chinese minister will be there to attend a trilateral meeting organized by Pakistan which will be attended by China and Afghanistan.
According to reports Pakistan has helped Taliban Foreign Minister Muttaqi get exemption from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to attend the meeting from May 6-9, 2023.
According to reports Taliban’s interim foreign minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, has got exemption by UNSC to travel from Afghanistan to Pakistan and he will have meetings with Chinese FM Gang and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The meeting is expected to take place from May 6-9, 2023 in Islamabad.
Background
Under the UNSC sanctions the interim foreign minister of Taliban has been subjected to travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. Last month the UNSC had allowed the Taliban minister to travel to Uzbekistan where the foreign ministers of neighbouring countries of Afghanistan met to discuss stability issues, peace and security in the region.
The report of Taliban travelling to Pakistan for the trilateral meet comes close on the heels of the recently concluded meeting of almost two dozen countries and international bodies meeting in Qatar earlier this week. The meeting was with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and focused on the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the plight of girls and women under Taliban administration.
Meeting in Qatar
Top officials of almost two countries as well as international bodies meet in Qatar under the banner of United Nations to discuss the plight of girls and women, food crisis and more in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule.
They met with the UN General Secretary Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and in this meeting no representative of the Taliban was invited. Other issues that were discussed were related to countering terrorism, drug trafficking, as well as inclusive governance.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has been quoted in reports that recognition of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan is not up for discussion.