ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov arrived in Pakistan on an official visit, which is widely being deemed as very instrumental in future course of relationship between Pakistan and Russia.
Following his arrival, Zamir Kabulov held delegation level talks with the Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in Islamabad on Tuesday, in which Pakistan-Russia bilateral relations, the Afghan peace process and matters of mutual interests came under discussion.
During the talks, the Russian envoy applauded Pakistan’s efforts in Afghan peace and reconciliation.
During his visit, the Russian envoy will also meet the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the Pakistan military leadership.
Sources said that the Pakistani leadership will brief Zamir Kabulov about the recently held peace talks between the Taliban and the US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in Doha, Qatar.
Sources said that Zamir Kabulov will also invite the Pakistani leadership to attend the third round of Moscow Peace Initiative, aiming at ending the decades-old Afghan war and ensuring the perpetual stability in the war-torn country.
Zamir Kabulov, who previously served in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, believes that Pakistan is a “must component” for Afghan peace talks. He believes that Pakistan is a key regional player referring to Afghan issue.
The visit of Kabulov is very attention-grabbing at this juncture of time when Pakistan says that peace talks between United States and Taliban in Doha were encouraging while Taliban released a statement that nothing had been gained out of these talks.
Pakistan Foreign Office kept the visit of Kabulov secrete until the story was released by “Voice of America” and then several Pakistan newspapers published the news that Kabulov would hold talks in Foreign Office Islamabad on Tuesday. There was no news about his travel in Russian official media as well.
Diplomatic circles in Islamabad believe that Russia wants to know real outcome of Doha Peace Talks as mystery still shrouds over the real outcome of talks as stakeholders are reporting contradictory results.
“Pakistan-Russia relations are yet to be on smooth road because the sole major development project between Pakistan and Russia known as South-North Gas Pipeline is still in doldrums since 2017 while Pakistan has opened its market to US and Saudi Arabian based oil and gas companies to explore and invest in oil and gas sector of Pakistan. Military to Military relations between the two countries are cordial but talks for buying military hardware from Russia are yet not materialized except buying of four MI35 helicopters”, said the senior journalist and Development Observer Agha Iqrar Haroon while commenting upon recent visit of Kabulov.
