Pakistan Blocks Religious Leader’s Trip to Kabul Amid Tensions with Taliban
Pakistani immigration authorities prevented Kifayatullah, a senior leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (Fazl-ur-Rehman faction), from leaving the country for Kabul yesterday. He was scheduled to travel to Afghanistan to participate in a meeting and hold talks with Taliban administration officials, but was denied permission to board a flight at Islamabad International Airport.
According to Pakistani sources, the religious figure intended to discuss the current state of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, ways to reduce bilateral tensions, and Pakistan’s security situation with senior Afghan leaders. However, the Pakistani government has yet to issue an official statement regarding the prevention of this journey.
Pakistani journalist Tahir Khan reported that Kifayatullah had stated his trip’s purpose was to consult on reducing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad. He added that the visit was planned as part of political and religious efforts to manage disputes between the two countries.
This travel restriction comes amid previous criticisms from some Pakistani religious parties, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, against the government’s policies toward Afghanistan. The move may indicate Pakistani authorities’ sensitivity toward independent political and religious contacts with the Taliban administration.
Several analysts believe that Pakistan’s decision-making bodies prefer that communications with Afghanistan occur solely through official channels under government supervision. These developments follow earlier reports of a former leader of Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami stating that during a visit to Kabul, he met with senior Taliban officials, including the prime minister, to discuss solutions to bilateral issues.
Continuing such restrictions could impact unofficial efforts to ease tensions between the two neighbors—tensions that have repeatedly challenged Kabul-Islamabad relations in recent years.
