Pakistan intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed reaches Kabul as Taliban set to announce government – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Amid heavy fighting that is underway in Panjshir valley, Pakistan intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed has arrived in Kabul leading a delegation of Pakistani officials on Saturday.
Hameed’s arrival also comes ahead of the announcement of a new government formation by the Taliban.
ANI quoted Pakistan journalist Hamza Azhar Salam as saying that Hameed is visiting Afghanistan at the invitation of the Taliban to discuss the future of the two countries.

Pakistan and its notorious intelligence agency have been accused of supporting the Taliban in taking over Afghanistan.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla on Friday said that Pakistan has “supported and nurtured” the Taliban that replaced the elected government.
Speaking to a group of reporters in Washington, Shringla said, “Pakistan is a neighbour of Afghanistan, they have supported and nurtured the Taliban. There are various elements that are supported by Pakistan — so its role has to be seen in that context.”
Experts believe that Pakistan has been a key player in removing the elected Afghan government from power and establishing Taliban as a decisive power in Afghanistan.
Recently, a UN Monitoring report has said that a significant part of the leadership of Al-Qaida resides in the Afghanistan and Pakistan border region.
Almost all foreign members of ISIL-K and al-Qaida have entered Afghanistan via Pakistan and the leaders of these outfits along with those of the Taliban have been living in Pakistan, the UN report said.
(With inputs from agencies)