Jakarta terms Taliban officials’ visit ‘informal’

Published July 26, 2023
Deputy spokesperson at the Afghan foreign ministry, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, tweeted on July 14 that one of the government’s top diplomats led a “delegation” to Indonesia. — Photo courtesy Hafiz Zia’s Twitter account
Deputy spokesperson at the Afghan foreign ministry, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, tweeted on July 14 that one of the government’s top diplomats led a “delegation” to Indonesia. — Photo courtesy Hafiz Zia’s Twitter account

JAKARTA: Represe­ntatives of Afghanistan’s Taliban government travelled to Indonesia this month on an unofficial visit, the foreign ministry in Jakarta said on Tuesday, despite Kabul saying they held meetings with politicians in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

“My understanding is that they were in Jakarta informally for internal matters with the Afgha­nistan mission here,” said Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah.

But the deputy spokesperson at the Afghan foreign ministry, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, tweeted on July 14 that one of the government’s top diplomats led a “delegation” to Indonesia.

He stated, “The delegation held useful meetings and discussions with some scholars, politicians and businessmen in Indonesia for strengthening bilateral political and economic relations.”

The official did not disclose which Indonesian politicians the Afghan delegation met.

Faizasyah claimed there were no official meetings between Afghan and Indonesian government officials.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...
Counterterrorism plan
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Counterterrorism plan

Lacunae in our counterterrorism efforts need to be plugged quickly.
Bullish stock market
23 Nov, 2024

Bullish stock market

NORMALLY, stock markets rise gradually. In recent months, however, Pakistan’s stock market has soared to one ...
Political misstep
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Political misstep

To drag a critical ally like Saudi Arabia into unfounded conspiracies is detrimental to Pakistan’s foreign policy.