Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani is likely to be appointed as the Pakistani representative in Kabul, Afghanistan, once he attains a higher diplomatic rank.
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has confirmed that Nizamani, who has previously served in various diplomatic roles in Washington, New Delhi, Dhaka, Berlin, and Jeddah, will be promoted to the position of ambassador and will assume the role of Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul.
This potential appointment, if approved by the Prime Minister’s Office, would make Pakistan the second country, after China, to have an ambassador in Kabul without formal recognition of the Taliban administration that took power in August 2021 following the departure of US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan.
The ambassadorial post has been vacant since Mansoor Ahmed Khan’s retirement in 2022, who served in the position before the US withdrawal.
Foreign Minister Jilani mentioned that Pakistan and China have discussed the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan, and the presence of the Chinese ambassador in Kabul is a step in this direction.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan’s relations with Kabul have been strained since an assassination attempt on Nizamani in December of the previous year, accompanied by a significant increase in terror incidents in Pakistan.
After the attempt on his life, Nizamani remained in Pakistan and resumed his duties in April 2023, five months later.
Pakistan has held Afghan leaders responsible for failing to fulfill their commitment to prevent terror attacks originating from their territory and has issued warnings about taking action.
Following his assumption of office, the Pakistani diplomat met with the Afghan foreign minister to discuss a wide range of mutual interests.
