Screengrab of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s press conference
The interim Afghan government on Monday confirmed it has invited Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman to visit Kabul and play the role of mediator between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In a Pashto audio message forwarded to Pakistani journalists by Kabul, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan had officially invited the JUIF chief to convey to him the wishes of the Afghan people and government toward their Pakistani counterparts. “Let the people of Pakistan know that we never want unrest in Pakistan, our relations soured or any step taken against Pakistan,” he said. “We certainly don’t want this, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman sahib can play this role very well,” he added.
The confirmation from the Afghan Taliban follows a meeting between Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Sardar Ahmad Jan Shakib and the JUIF chief in Islamabad, during which he reportedly formally invited Fazl to visit Kabul. The JUIF has already confirmed that its chief would visit Afghanistan after finalizing election-related matters in Pakistan.
There is a growing perception of the Afghan Taliban seeking a revival of ties with Pakistan, as Islamabad has made it clear it would no longer tolerate any terrorism emanating from across the border. The Foreign Office, last week, issued a statement demanding that Kabul apprehend and handover to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants involved in a recent suicide attack that martyred 23 soldiers.
Subsequently, unverified reports have emerged that the Afghan Taliban have arrested several dozen TTP fighters, though it remains unclear if they would be handed over to Pakistan, as demanded by Islamabad.