State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar had a detailed meeting with the leadership of the interim Afghan government in which a range of bilateral issues of common interest and connectivity were discussed.

She landed in Kabul leading a high-level delegation earlier on Tuesday on a one-day visit to meet the Afghan Interim government. Khar met top officials from a government exclusively comprised of male members of the Afghan Taliban including foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and prime minister Mullah Hasan Akhund.

She also had a meeting with the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Khar underlined the important role of women in society and expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in strengthening linkages between women entrepreneurs in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Khar announced the government’s decision to give preference to import of products by women run businesses.

“Bilateral relations, including cooperation in the areas of education, trade and investment, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts and matters related to regional security will be discussed,” a foreign office statement said.

Afghan government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed that a high-level delegation would arrive in Afghanistan on Tuesday. Howvever, he did not mention Foreign Minister Khar by name.

A high ranking delegation from Pakistan is coming to Kabul tomorrow. it has been decided that this delegation will discuss economic and political relations between the two countries.

The Afghan taliban returned to power in August 2021, 20 years after being ousted by US troops. Their one-year rule has been criticised by many western countries for its clampdown on civil liberties including limitations on female education.

However, the country has also grappled with sanctions after many countries cut development aid. The topic has been broached by Khar before. In June 2022, Khar told Germany’s Welt newspaper that the basic functioning of the state was not endangered and the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe was averted. Pakistan is also home to millions of Afghan refugees.

Things have been tense between Pakistan and Afghanistan of late. The Chaman border was closed for eight days earlier in the month after firing from the Afghan side resulted in the death of a security official in Pakistan.