Pakistan ISI Chief Hamid Faiz is in Kabul because Pakistan is looking for a backdoor entry into the new Taliban regime. Sources told CNN-News18 that the aim of Faiz’s Kabul visit is to get the Haqqanis in the running to revamp the Afghan army which is in compete disarray after Taliban’s takeover. LIVE UPDATES: 17 Killed in Taliban’s ‘Celebratory’ Firing
Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is regarded as being a patron of the Haqqani Network — which happens to be a UN-and US-designated terror group, along with its nexus to the Al Qaeda.
The sources said the purpose of his visit is to solve major differences between Mullah Yaqub of Quetta Shura and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and the Haqqani Network.
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Pakistan also wants to provide military power to the deadly Haqqani network, a move being opposed by Mullah Rehbari and Quetta Shura, the sources said. However, reports state that the Afghans are not happy about this development, as the ISI chief arriving in Kabul poses a big question on Taliban legitimacy.
The Taliban leadership had its headquarters in Pakistan and were often said to be in direct contact with the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
Although Pakistan routinely denied giving the Taliban military aid, the accusation was often made by the Afghan government and Washington.
It is being reported that hectic negotiations are underway between Taliban leadership and the Haqqani Network over the formation of government in Afghanistan. Sources told CNN-News18 that the insurgents are designing a government based on Iran’s model – an Islamic republic where the Supreme Leader is the head of state and the highest-ranking political and religious authority even above the president.
The reports of differences between Mullah Yaqoob and the Haqqani factions are doing rounds even though the Taliban leadership is trying to project a united front to the world. It is believed that Yaqoob, son of first Emir-ul-Momeen Mullha Omar, wants to bring military elements into the new Afghan cabinet instead of political factors being pushed by Mullah Barader, the co-founder of the Sunni Islamist group.
The sources added that an announcement on government-formation in the war-ravaged country is likely to be delayed again by mid-next week.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration is quietly pressing Pakistan to cooperate on combating dreaded terrorist groups such as the ISIS-K and Al Qaeda following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, according to a set of leaked documents and diplomatic cables to a prominent US media outlet, the Associated Press has reported.
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The Dawn newspaper on Saturday carried a report quoting a news report published on Friday by the Politico on a slew of diplomatic messages exchanged between Washington and Islamabad recently after the Taliban insurgents seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan.
The messages show that “the Biden administration is quietly pressing Pakistan to cooperate on fighting terrorist groups such as ISIS-Khorasan and Al Qaeda in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan,” the Politico, which obtained the sensitive but unclassified cables and other written materials, reported.
In response, Pakistan has hinted that Islamabad deserves more public recognition of its role in helping people now fleeing Afghanistan, even as it has downplayed fears of what Taliban rule of the country could mean, according to the report.
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