The Pakistani Parliamentary Delegation was unable to complete their visit to Afghanistan. As a result of the \’security threat,\’ the Afghan government sent back the delegation aircraft. The incident occurred just before the time when the plane was preparing for landing. As reported, explosives were discovered at the Kabul airport. According to the schedule, the Pakistani delegation was to land on Thursday, for a three-day visit.
Asad Qaisar, the Speaker of the National Assembly, on the special invitation of his colleague, Chairman Wolsi Jirga Afghanistan, Mir Rehman Rahmani, led a nine-member parliamentary delegation to Kabul.
Sadiq Khan, Prime Minister\’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, MNAs Shandan Gulzaar, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Sajid Khan, Maulana Salauddin Ayubi, Gul Dad Khan, Ghulam Mustafa Shah, and Secretary National Assembly made up the Parliamentary delegation.
Prior to his visit, the Speaker expressed his desire for stronger relations with the Afghan people in a brief letter. According to him, the delegation intends to hold a wide range of talks. The talks will include deliberations on Afghan peace and cross-border trade.
Security Threat at Kabul Airport
Hamid Karzai International Airport denied the landing of the delegation plane. This sudden action was \”due to a security threat,\” Pakistan\’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, tweeted on Thursday. “The plane was about to descend when the control tower told us of the airport\’s closure.\” He added, \”after joint meetings, new dates for the visit will be set.”.
Wolsi Jirga Chairman Afghanistan\’s Vice President, Mir Rehman Rahmani, and Chairman of the Afghan Senate, Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, called Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser to express their sorrow for the postponement of the visit. They expressed their concerns about the \’Security Threats\’. They said that they were looking forward to the Pakistani delegation\’s visit at a later date.
Explosives Found at The Airport, Causing a Security Threat
A drilling team discovered old \”unexploded ordnance\” in the airport during renovation. It alarmed an immediate security threat according to Abdul Qadir Zazai. Hence, the finding caused the control tower to deny landing permission to several jets, including the one carrying the Pakistani delegation.
In addition, Islamabad has eased visa requirements for Afghans. Further, Pakistan recently expanded the number of scholarships available to Afghan students interested in studying in Pakistani institutions. Pakistan is the main party to facilitate peace negotiations between Taliban leaders and US officials. Resultantly, due to this initiative, the two rivals signed a historic deal in February 2020.
