Taliban-appointed prime minister meets with a top Pakistan politician in hopes of reducing tensions

By RAHIM FAIEZ and MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed prime minister has met with one of Pakistan’s most senior politicians in an attempt to reduce lingering tensions between the two countries. Both sides confirmed the meeting with Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam party is known for backing the Afghan Taliban. He is the first senior Pakistani politician to visit Kabul since the Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew. Rehman has no current position in Pakistan’s government, but he’s close to the military. Pakistan is concerned about the Pakistani Taliban’s presence in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is concerned about Pakistan’s expulsion of Afghans.