Is The Taliban Upset With Pakistan? ‘Protocol Snub’ To Ishaq Dar At Trilateral With China|Special

Last Updated:August 20, 2025, 21:07 IST

This absence of red carpet honour for Pakistani deputy PM Ishaq Dar, nevertheless, highlights Afghanistan’s computed downgrade of ties with Islamabad

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar might have gotten a “procedure snub” from the Taliban during their trilateral summit with China. He was received by Afghan deputy foreign minister Naem Wardak, while China’s Wang Yi was welcomed with full honours by foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

This lack of red carpet honour for Dar, however, highlights Afghanistan’s calculated downgrade of ties with Islamabad. The Taliban now view China as an indispensable partner for investment, mining, infrastructure, and international legitimacy, especially after Beijing established an embassy in Kabul.

According to top intelligence sources, this is clear proof that Pakistan’s control over Kabul is over. The era of Pakistan patronising the Taliban has ended, and Islamabad now treats them as just another neighbour, the sources said. By denying red-carpet status to Pakistan, Kabul signals that Islamabad is losing credibility even among Muslim nations, they added.

The sources said since 2021, Islamabad’s influence over the Taliban has diminished with Kabul clearly rejecting being seen as an extension of Pakistan. Recent deportations of Afghan refugees and tensions along the Durand Line have further strained relations, they said. Additionally, the Taliban feel that Islamabad sides with the West on issues related to Kabul and fails to protect it diplomatically, they added.

China, meanwhile, offers cash, projects, and investments like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) whereas Pakistan’s contributions are limited to aid and trade facilitation, the sources said. This contrast demonstrates Afghanistan’s tilt towards China and dissatisfaction with Islamabad, which is hosting Northern Resistance Front leaders against the TTP, they said.

Top diplomats from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan are meeting in Kabul for a trilateral summit aimed at boosting political, regional and economic cooperation.

Afghanistan’s ministry of foreign affairs in a statement said the talks, hosted by Kabul, will include “comprehensive discussions” on a large range of problems, consisting of political, financial and local cooperation.

Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs stated Dar’s conversations at the conference will concentrate on broadening trade, enhancing local connection and reinforcing collaborations versus terrorism.

The last round of the discussion occurred in May in Beijing. The most recent advancement comes more than a month after Russia ended up being the very first nation to officially identify the Taliban’s federal government in Afghanistan.

While no nation, other than from Russian, has actually used official acknowledgment, the Taliban have actually taken part in top-level talks with lots of countries and developed some diplomatic ties with nations consisting of China and the United Arab Emirates.