Afghanistan’s special representative is appointed by Pakistan as Asif Durrani.

As ties between the two neighboring countries continue to be tense, Asif Ali Khan Durrani, a career diplomat with 32 years of experience, has been named as a special envoy on Afghanistan.

After his predecessor Mohammad Sadiq resigned in March after almost three years in office, Durrani was chosen by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif two months later. Sadiq’s resignation after the failure of peace negotiations in Kabul with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned organization that was first convened by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration.

Durrani will immediately report to the PM Office after taking office. On Tuesday, Durrani spoke with Hina Rabbani Khar, the minister of state for foreign affairs.

In order to link the landlocked Central Asian area with the rest of the globe through Pakistan and Afghanistan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) may be expanded into Afghanistan during the time of Durrani’s appointment.

When the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan met earlier this month in Islamabad for a trilateral discussion, the three countries emphasized the need to find practical solutions for reviving the Afghan economy and the necessity of fostering economic activity there.

The three parties reiterated their commitment to using Afghanistan’s potential as a regional connectivity center to the fullest. Reiterating their commitment to advancing trilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan together.

The importance of Durrani’s appointment is further underscored by the fact that the nation is still struggling with terrorism, as seen by the rise in assaults on innocent civilians and law enforcement officers, as well as the recent demolition of girls’ schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi encouraged Islamabad and TTP, which is believed to be responsible for the majority of assaults in the nation, to meet for a conversation during his trip to Pakistan earlier this month.

Kabul had mediated multiple rounds of discussions between Islamabad and the TTP, an illegal organization, but those talks broke down last year, and the militant group then began carrying out terrorist attacks.

Asif Durrani: who is he?
Durrani, a 32-year career diplomat, worked as the deputy head of Pakistan’s mission in Kabul from 2005 until 2009. The former ambassador speaks Pashto and Dari with ease; both languages are frequently used in Afghanistan.

He has held diplomatic posts for Pakistan in Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Prior to this, Durrani held diplomatic positions in a number of locations, including New Delhi, New York, Kabul, and London.

During his early diplomatic career, the former ambassador also served as a member of the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Durrani was currently employed with the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) as a senior research fellow. He comes from a Quetta-based family of seasoned diplomats and officials from Balochistan.