ISLAMABAD:   Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday arrived in Pakistan on his maiden visit to the country,  the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. 

According to a report by Geo.tv, Muttaqi   will hold important meetings with the top leadership of Pakistan, including Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and will also attend the Troika Plus meeting.

Earlier, the  Afghan  Foreign Ministry, in a statement, had said that  during his visit, the acting foreign minister will hold discussion on matters related to the economic crisis in Afghanistan, while he will also talk about the ease in visa regime with the Pakistani authorities.

Earlier, Pakistan had extended a special invitation to Muttaqi to attend the Troika Plus meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 11.

“Special Representatives for Afghanistan from the United States, China, Russia and Pakistan will be meeting on Thursday and we hope that Mr Muttaqi will also be able to attend,” an official had told The News.

The Troika Plus on Afghanistan will be attended by Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, the State Department’s Special Representative and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov and Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong.

Pakistan has still not recognised the caretaker setup in Afghanistan. However, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, after his visit to Kabul, had told the media that he had invited Mutaqqi, who had accepted his invitation.

What is Troika Plus?

China, Russia, Pakistan and the US have major stakes in bringing peace to Afghanistan. These countries have long been active participants in the Afghan peace talks. The four key players had established the forum named Troika Plus to restore peace in Afghanistan, develop regional consensus on the Afghan issue and help the war-torn country in addressing the problems.