Following the visit of the Taliban's interior minister and intelligence chief to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a security source in Kabul told Afghanistan International that Abu Dhabi is mediating between the Taliban and Pakistan.
The source said that Taliban officials are also likely to meet with the ISI chief.
The Taliban on Tuesday announced that the group’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and the group's intelligence chief, Abdul Haq Wasiq, had made an unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates.
During the visit, senior Taliban security officials met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the head of state of the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi.
According to the security source, the purpose of the visit was to mediate between the Taliban and Pakistan. Taliban officials are also likely to hold talks with the ISI chief during the visit.
Recently, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during his visit to Pakistan.
The Taliban's relations with Pakistan have been severely strained after Pakistani warplanes attacked eastern Afghanistan. Both sides accuse each other of supporting their armed opposition groups. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of supporting and arming TTP militants. The Taliban has also accused Pakistan of supporting ISIS and claimed that ISIS bases are located in Pakistan's Balochistan.
Pakistan has so far refused to negotiate directly with the Afghan Taliban on Pakistani insurgents, but the increase in militant attacks has inflicted heavy casualties on its military.
According to reports, the rate of security incidents in the country has increased by 90% since 2020. Many observers have linked Pakistan's insecurity to developments in Afghanistan, especially since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.
Following the escalation of tensions, a group of politicians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa met with Pakistani army chief Asim Munir last week and called for dialogue and interaction with the Taliban. Pakistan's army chief has also emphasised that the only difference between the country and the Taliban is the issue of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Earlier, some sources said that Islamabad had asked China to pressure the Taliban to stop supporting the TTP.
