Pakistan permits Taliban-appointed ‘diplomats’ to take cost of Afghan missions: Report

Pakistan has quietly allowed the Taliban-appointed “diplomats” to take cost of the Afghan embassy and consulates within the nation, a media report mentioned on Saturday.

Although Pakistan doesn’t recognise the Taliban because the reputable authorities in Kabul, it nonetheless issued visas to the appointed “diplomats”.Sardar Muhammad Shokaib has began working as the primary secretary within the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, whereas Hafiz Mohibullah, Mullah Ghulam Rasool and Mullah Muhammad Abbas have been assigned to the Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi consulates of Afghanistan, the Dawn newspaper reported.Shokaib would successfully be the Afghan cost d’affaires in Islamabad.ALSO READ: ‘Just give us our cash, freezing it’s unethical’: Taliban push to unlock Afghanistan billions abroadThe Afghan embassy right here has been with out an envoy since July when the final envoy beneath the earlier regime, Najibullah Alikhil, left due to controversy on account of alleged abduction of his daughter Silsila Alikhil.No particulars about Shokaib have been shared however based on a report by Voice of America, he’s an ethnic Pashtun from Zabul province who served within the Information and Cultural Department in southern Kandahar and was related to a Taliban journal.He reportedly as soon as labored because the Taliban spokesman beneath the identify of Qari Yousaf Ahmadi and was arrested in Pakistan and later lived in Peshawar for a number of years.ALSO READ: US proclaims $144 million in humanitarian help for individuals of AfghanistanPakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar tried to minimize the brand new appointments by saying that it was an “administrative matter”.“With regard to appointment of new staff in the Afghan embassy, this is an administrative matter and is meant to enable the embassy to perform its functions, primarily the consular functions as you are aware there are millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and there are visa issues as well,” he mentioned.Pakistan has been attempting to persuade the world to diplomatically interact with the Taliban after they set up their de-facto management on Afghanistan on August 15. However, the world is skeptical about them and trying to decide them on guarantees to respect human rights earlier than any sort of recognition.ALSO READ: Gunmen kill 4 Pakistani police close to border with Afghanistan