Taliban's Kandahar Governor To Discuss TTP In Upcoming Islamabad Visit

Mullah Shirin Akhund, the Taliban governor of Kandahar, is set to visit Islamabad on Wednesday, reports the Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune.

The visit primarily aims to address the issue of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and mend relations with Islamabad.

Shirin Akhund, who maintains close ties with both the Taliban leadership and the TTP, is part of a delegation that Pakistani officials view with cautious optimism. Islamabad expects the delegation to propose negotiations with the TTP, an idea Pakistan has been reluctant to entertain.

Pakistan has consistently demanded that the TTP disarm before any talks commence. Furthermore, Islamabad has urged the Afghan Taliban to take action against the TTP on Afghan territory, a request that has been repeatedly denied.

The delegation, which includes Shirin Akhund, is scheduled to meet Pakistani officials, including Asif Durani, Pakistan's special envoy for Afghanistan. The visit comes at a time when Pakistan has scaled back high-level interactions with the Afghan Taliban, frustrated by their inability to curb TTP's attacks. These attacks have notably escalated, targeting Pakistani military forces and causing considerable concern in Islamabad.