Kabul rebuffs visit request from Pakistani officials Khawaja Asif and Asim Malik

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has rejected a request for an official visit by a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, sources confirmed to Ariana News.

According to the sources, the delegation — which included Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, ISI Director-General Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik, and two senior Pakistani generals — had made repeated attempts over the past two days to obtain travel visas through the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad.

However, the IEA refused to approve the visit, citing Pakistan’s recent airspace violations and airstrikes on civilian areas in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.

Officials in Kabul described the decision as a direct response to what they called “repeated acts of aggression” by Pakistan’s military. “No delegation can expect to visit Kabul while our citizens are under attack,” one Afghan government source said.

Analysts say the move represents one of the strongest diplomatic rebukes by the IEA since coming to power in 2021, highlighting growing frustration over Pakistan’s military operations near the border and alleged interference in Afghan internal affairs.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have sharply deteriorated in recent weeks following a series of deadly cross-border incidents and mutual accusations of harboring militants.

Islamabad has accused militant groups operating from Afghan territory of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul has condemned Pakistan for launching unauthorized airstrikes that have resulted in civilian casualties.

The latest rejection underscores the widening diplomatic rift between the two neighbors and signals Kabul’s intent to push back against what it views as violations of Afghan sovereignty.

“This is not just a diplomatic snub — it’s a message that the IEA will not engage with Pakistan on its terms,” said a regional analyst familiar with the situation.

Neither Kabul nor Islamabad has issued an official public statement on the matter.