The Taliban have appointed an ambassador to Islamabad
Senior Taliban officials have announced the deployment of a representative to run the Afghan embassy in the Pakistani capital.
Officials say Mohammad Shakib has been appointed ambassador to Islamabad by the group’s government, which has not had an ambassador since the previous Western-backed government in June, according to officials.
However, since Pakistan does not formally recognize the new Taliban government, Mohammad Shakib will not have the official title of ambassador, but will be in charge of the Afghan embassy in Islamabad.
“There are millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and there are visa problems,” a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman said, adding that the appointment was mainly to ensure the consular function.
However, two Afghan officials have been appointed by the Taliban to run consulates in Quetta and Peshawar, Pakistan, near the two main Afghan border crossings.
“We understand that Pakistan has not yet recognized us as a legitimate government, but we have made these arrangements for public facilities,” a senior Taliban leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.
Two other Taliban officials at the State Department and the Interior confirmed the appointment to Reuters, saying similar arrangements had been made in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
No country has yet recognized the Taliban, which ousted the Western-backed government in Kabul in August, and Afghan embassies are still largely run by ambassadors appointed by the previous government, many of whom are outspoken critics.
