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Amid security threat, Pakistani parliamentary delegation returns from Afghan airspace

Islamabad: Pakistani parliamentary delegation's visit to Afghanistan has been cancelled due to the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital Kabul.

GNN Web Desk
Published 4 years ago on Apr 9th 2021, 2:45 am
By Web Desk

Accompanying the delegation, Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq said that when the plane was about to land at Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul it was conveyed that the airport had been closed due to security concerns, on which the plane turned back from the air.

In a tweet, he said, “Speaker’s visit to Kabul postponed as the airport was closed due to a security threat.”

“the plane was about to descent when the control tower informed of the closure of the airport. New dates for the visit will be decided after mutual consultations.”

The aircraft of the Speaker, who was heading a nine-member parliamentary delegation to Kabul, on the special invitation of his counterpart Chairman Wolsi Jirga Mir Rehman Rahmani had to return to Islamabad, after being denied permission to land at the Hamid Karzai international.

The visit was planned on the invitation of the head of the Kabul Wolesi Jirga (House of Representatives).

An official at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul told a media house that the Afghan government claimed that was a small explosion at the airport due to which the government has to cancel the planned tour.

On Thursday morning, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser left for Afghanistan with a parliamentary delegation.

Official sources said Chairman Wolsi Jirga Afghanistan Mir Rehman Rahmani and  Chairman of the Afghan Senate Fazal Hadi Muslimyar telephoned Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and regretted the postponement of the visit. They said they were looking forward to the visit of the delegation from Pakistan at an earlier date. Speaker Asad Qaiser said he would be visiting Kabul as soon as the security situation improves.

Before his visit, the Speaker in a brief message said he looked forward to closer ties with the people of Afghanistan. He said the delegation planned to hold wide-ranging discussions, including deliberations on the Afghan peace and cross-border trade.

The delegation also included Special Representative for Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq Khan and MPs Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Sajid Khan, Rana Tanveer, Gul Dad Khan, Sheikh Yaqub and Shandana Gulzar.

The purpose of the parliamentary delegation's visit was to end the lack of trust between the two countries.

The delegation was scheduled to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar, Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Speaker Mir Rehman Rahmani.

The Afghan government had made preparations for the reception of the Pakistani delegation and the streets of Kabul were decorated with Pakistani and Afghan flags and pictures of the guests as well as welcome banners were hung at important places in the city.

According to the data available from the flight tracker, Flightradar 24, the aircraft circled for some time near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai airport, before heading back home.

However, the information available from the Kabul Airport’s online arrivals and departures showed regular flight movement.

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