Taliban Denies Visa Requests from Senior Pakistani Officials

Over the past three days, three senior Pakistani government officials have separately applied for visas to Afghanistan. According to sources cited by TOLOnews, the list includes Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Asim Malik, head of the country’s military intelligence agency, and two other senior generals.

Despite these requests being officially sent to Kabul, the Taliban administration has refused to issue visas to these officials and has rejected all the applications. The reasons behind the Taliban’s decision remain unclear, but the move has raised questions about the tense relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

Pakistani officials, who have been seeking meetings with the Taliban administration following recent military confrontations between the two countries, have faced closed doors this time. The repeated denial of visas for high-ranking figures is seen as a sign of growing mistrust between the two sides.

In previous years, direct engagement with the Taliban was a key part of Pakistan’s foreign policy toward Afghanistan. However, rising tensions over armed groups active along the borders have complicated relations. The Taliban’s recent distancing from former allies, especially the Pakistanis, has reached a new level.