ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser’s visit to Afghanistan was postponed due to the closure of the Kabul airport at the last moment, citing security reasons, tweeted Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
Taking to Twitter, Mohammad Sadiq said that the aircraft of the Speaker had to return to Islamabad, after being denied permission to land at the Hamid Karzai international due to security threat.
“The plane was about to descent when the control tower informed of the closure of the airport. New dates for the visit will be decided after mutual consultations,” the special representative added.
According to details shared by an unofficial PIA enthusiast, the aircraft circled for some time near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai airport, before heading back home. However, the information available from the Kabul Airport’s online arrivals and departures showed regular flight movement.
Official sources said Chairman Wolsi Jirga Afghanistan Mir Rehman Rahmani and Chairman of the Afghan Senate Fazal Hadi Muslimyar telephoned Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and regretted the postponement of the visit.
The NA speaker was heading a nine-member parliamentary delegation to Kabul on the special invitation of his counterpart Chairman Wolsi Jirga Afghanistan, Mir Rehman Rahmani.
The Parliamentary delegation comprised Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Sadiq Khan, MNAs Shandan Gulzaar, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Sajid Khan, Maulana Salauddin Ayubi, Gul Dad Khan, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Secretary National Assembly. The delegation was on a four-day visit to Kabul.
