Team News Riveting
A day after the Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief Lt Gen. Faiz Hamid visited Kabul and Pakistan celebrating the event, Taliban today clarified that the tour was not on their invitation.
Pakistan had made much publicity of Hamid’s visit to Kabul and targeted India. Its media claimed that Hamid’s visit was a turning point to strengthen Pakistan and Taliban relations that would come as a big jolt to India. A section even claimed that Pakistan had its say in the new government formation in Kabul and linked ISI Chief’s visit with it.
However, Pakistan was stunned to hear from the Taliban on Sunday that Hamid was in Afghanistan to improve bilateral relations between Kabul and Islamabad. The Taliban contested Pakistani media reports that Hamid was in Kabul at the invitation of the Taliban and said that Pakistan had proposed his visit to Kabul.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s Cultural Commission, said the Taliban leaders talked with Hamid about bilateral relations and the problems of Afghan passengers at Torkham and Spin Boldak passes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“This Pakistani official has come to solve Afghan passengers’ problems at the border areas, especially in Torkham and Spin Boldak. They wanted (his visit to Kabul) and we accepted,” Wasiq said.
Hamid was in Kabul on Saturday on a day trip and was the only high-ranking foreign official to visit following the Taliban’s takeover of the city.
His visit had however caused concerns among the Afghans taking shelter in Pakistan as it indicated that the latter would recognize the government that the Taliban would announce.
