اعلی حملہ پیش نظر، افغان طالبان نے پاکستانی وفد کا سفر منسوخ کردیا

A meeting was scheduled with Maulvi Shirin Akhund, but Pakistan and Afghan Taliban did not comment on the matter – File photo

Islamabad: Afghan Taliban have canceled a visit by a Pakistani army delegation to Kandahar while protesting against the targeting of terrorist hideouts across the border in Paktika by Pakistan. Pakistan has not commented on the cancellation of the visit on Sunday when a Pakistani delegation was scheduled to visit Kandahar in response to attacks on terrorist hideouts along the Afghanistan border. The army’s media wing has also not shown any reaction to these two incidents.

The Taliban has also not commented on any confirmed Pakistani attacks in Paktika or the cancellation of the Pakistani delegation’s visit to Paktika. However, diplomatic sources have said that a delegation consisting of mid-level officials was scheduled to visit Kandahar on Sunday to resolve the issue of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

According to sources, the delegation was supposed to meet with the Governor of Kandahar and the Deputy Head of the Afghan Intelligence Agency, Maulvi Shirin Akhund. Maulvi Shirin is considered close to the Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. He was also a part of the team to help facilitate dialogue between Pakistan and TTP.

Earlier this year, he also visited Islamabad. The Pakistani delegation’s visit was being considered a follow-up to this visit. Some Afghan journalists have reported on Friday that Pakistan conducted an attack in Paktika to kill a specific TTP terrorist. Pakistan did not confirm any such attack.

Now, an Afghan media outlet “Da Afghanistan International” has claimed that the Taliban canceled the visit by the Pakistani delegation to Kandahar in response to Pakistani aerial and missile strikes.