ISLAMABAD – A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft with Pakistani Parliament delegation had-to return as Afghan authorities barred him from landing at Kabul airport due to security reasons.
The delegation led by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser departed from the Islamabad International Airport earlier today on three-day long planned visit but it was not granted permission for landing when the plane was about to touch the Hamid Karzai Airport.
Pakistan’s envoy to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq in a tweet said, “Speaker’s visit to Kabul postponed as airport was closed due to security threat. The plane was about to descent when the control tower informed of the closure of airport”.
Speaker's visit to Kabul postponed as airport was closed due to security threat. The plane was about to descent when the control tower informed of the closure of airport. New dates for the visit will be decided after mutual consultations.
— Mohammad Sadiq (@AmbassadorSadiq) April 8, 2021
“New dates for the visit will be decided after mutual consultations,” he added.
The security head of the Kabul airport, Reyan Arian, said that reports of explosives being placed under a building near the Kabul airport prevented a plane carrying Assad Qaisar from landing.
“According to the reports, the explosive was placed a while ago,” Tolo News quoted him as saying.
Why Asad Qaiser was going to Afghanistan?
According to the secretariat of the National Assembly, Qaiser was heading to Kabul for talks on bilateral relations, focusing on ways to enhance ties between the parliaments of both countries.
The secretariat said in a statement that Qaiser was heading a nine-member delegation and they were scheduled to hold meetings with Speaker of Wolesi Jirga or the lower house of the Afghan parliament Mir Rahman Rahmani and others.
Afghan Ambassador Najeebullah Ali Khel Meets NA Speaker
Earlier this month, Najeebullah Ali Khel, Ambassador of Afghanistan, called on NA Speaker Asad Qaiser.
Qaiser had said that peace in Afghanistan was imperative for regional economic development and connectivity.
He said that peace in Afghanistan would bring prosperity in Afghanistan and the region. The Speaker said that Pakistan would stand firm with an indigenous Afghan owned peace process.
During the meeting, Pak-Afghan relations and the political situation in the region and issues of mutual interest came under discussion.
Speaker Asad Qaiser said that constructive engagement between parliamentarians and political leadership of both the countries had brought each other more closer.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/speakers-see-afghanistans-peace-process-a-way-forward/
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/pakistan-mission-in-afghanistan-celebrates-national-day-video/
