Parliament launches probe into Kabul airport explosives find

The Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) on Saturday summoned Afghanistan’s top security officials to answer questions after a plane carrying a Pakistani delegation led by the country’s Speaker of the House, Asad Qaisar, was turned back to Islamabad after entering Afghan airspace on Thursday following the discovery of explosives on a runway at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Airport.

Acting Interior Minister Hayatullah Hayat told the MPs that unexploded explosives were discovered at the airport.

“It was not intentional but explosives were found; the airport was closed for more than two hours,” Hayat said, adding that nine flights had been postponed due to the issue.

MPs said they were not satisfied with explanations by the security officials and said a delegation has been assigned to investigate the issue.

MP Mir Haidar Afzali said: “Unfortunately, the visit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Pakistan was canceled and the security officials were called on this issue, but they did not satisfy the parliament and a delegation was tasked to follow up the issue further and the result will be shared with the people.”

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kabul Mansoor Ahmad Khan said the aircraft was already in Afghanistan airspace when it turned back.

Khan said the plane was turned back after NATO warned they had found explosives on the runway at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul city.