However, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has said that the visit should not be considered unusual and should not be taken as a measure of the state of relations between the two countries.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson said diplomatic representatives regularly visit educational institutions and there was nothing unusual about the Afghan ambassador visiting NDU.
The spokesperson also said Pakistan was not aware of any decision regarding new engagement with Afghanistan. He said future engagement depends on assurances from the Taliban government that Afghan soil will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.
During his speech at NDU, Sardar Ahmad Shakib acknowledged Pakistan’s security concerns and said Afghanistan does not want its territory to be used against Pakistan.
However, he opposed military action against Afghanistan, external pressure and the use of trade and transit as political tools. He called for direct talks between the two countries to address their security concerns.
Shakib said developments in Afghanistan, including political, security and economic issues, affect Pakistan, just as developments in Pakistan affect Afghanistan.
He described this as a geographical and strategic reality that neither country can change. He said the two countries could either see their interdependence as a source of crisis or use it as an opportunity for stability, security and shared economic development.
The Afghan ambassador said Afghanistan fully understands Pakistan’s concerns about possible security threats from Afghan soil. However, he said security allegations should be linked to specific and clear information, identifiable individuals, networks and incidents.
He also said Afghanistan does not want its territory to be used against Pakistan, but it cannot accept the use of Pakistan’s security concerns as a justification for military action against Afghanistan.
Shakib called for direct dialogue if Pakistan expects Afghanistan to cooperate on specific security concerns. He also opposed external pressure, military action as an alternative to diplomacy, collective punishment of Afghan citizens and the use of trade and transit as tools of political pressure.
The speech has also led some analysts to believe that the Taliban may be looking for ways to improve relations with Pakistan and resolve outstanding issues.
Senior journalist and Afghanistan affairs expert Tahir Khan described the invitation of the Afghan ambassador to NDU as an important development, especially because direct government-to-government contact between Pakistan and the Taliban government has been limited in recent months.
According to Tahir Khan, the two countries have experienced clashes, while border crossings, trade and transit routes have also been affected. He said inviting the Afghan ambassador to a military institution gave military officials an opportunity to hear his position directly and raise their concerns.
Tahir Khan said his recent visit to Kabul gave him the impression that the Taliban may now want to move towards resolving issues with Pakistan, or at least want to explore that possibility.
He also pointed out that speeches by ambassadors are generally prepared in consultation with their governments or foreign ministries. Therefore, Shakib’s remarks could represent a broader Afghan government position rather than simply his personal views.
Another Afghanistan affairs analyst, Ehsanullah Tipu Mehsud, said the Afghan ambassador’s invitation to NDU was not a minor development. He noted that NDU is a military institution and most participants at the event were military officials.
He said inviting a representative of the Taliban government to such an institution could indicate that some form of communication or discussion between Pakistan and Afghanistan may be taking place.
Tipu Mehsud also linked the development to Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani’s recent call for a joint mechanism with Pakistan to address security concerns. Haqqani had suggested direct talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan instead of mediation by another country.
Analysts say the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has also put economic pressure on Afghanistan. Tipu Mehsud said the return of around 2.5 to 2.6 million Afghans from different countries is another major issue for the Taliban government.
Both analysts also highlighted China’s possible role in improving relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. China’s special representative for Afghanistan has visited Islamabad twice recently, while Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has indicated that it is willing to hold government-to-government talks with Afghanistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly said that it is ready for talks at the government-to-government level but expects concrete action from Afghanistan to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has said any mechanism between the two countries must be based on practical and verifiable steps rather than assurances alone. Kabul must ensure that groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) do not use Afghan soil against Pakistan.
Analysts believe the latest developments could be signs of possible behind-the-scenes communication. However, it remains unclear whether these contacts will lead to a major improvement in relations.
Tahir Khan said the signals should not be ignored, while Tipu Mehsud noted that despite continued TTP attacks and Pakistan’s military action, important signs of possible dialogue are emerging.
