Strain Talk: Afghan Taliban Detains Pakistan’s Consul General for ‘Selling Fake Passports’ | Exclusive

The Taliban has detained Abidullah, Pakistan’s Consulate General in Jalalabad, for his alleged involvement in selling fake passports, sources told CNN-News18.

According to sources, Abidullah was hosting Gul Murad, head of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce of Jalalabad, for dinner.

“The Afghan Taliban raided the vehicle of Gul Murad in Jalalabad and allegedly recovered fake Pakistani and Afghanistan passports,” said sources.

Murad was arrested on his way outside the Consulate General, said sources.

The Taliban claimed Murad, with the help of Abidullah, sold the passports to Afghan nationals, said sources.

“Abidullah misused his position and authority at the Pakistani Consulate General in Jalalabad,” the Taliban is said to have claimed.

After the incident, Abidullah and his staff have been detained, said sources.

An Afghan Taliban delegation from Kabul has reached Jalalabad to investigate the incident, said sources, adding the investigations are underway.

Meanwhile, Abidullah has registered a protest on the way his guest Murad was treated, said sources.

Murad has been arrested by the Taliban for the second time, said sources.

THE TIES

The ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been strained of late.

Recently, Pakistan had written a letter to Afghanistan to arrest terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed’s chief Maulana Masood Azhar, a UN-designated terrorist. In response, Taliban spokesperson and face of Taliban Suhail Shaheen had warned Pakistan “not to make claims without evidence”.

“We have a commitment not to allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against any other country,” Shaheen said. “We warn Pakistan not to raise any claims without any evidence as it has a negative impact on bilateral relations. Claims without any evidence don’t serve any purpose…We don’t have any evidence of Azhar’s presence.”

Another tense episode was witnessed during the cricket match in Sharjah, in which Afghanistan were fighting hard to stay in the Asia Cup tournament only for Pakistan’s last-wicket pair to dramatically clinch their own spot in the finals.

The Pakistani state media showed how the Afghani crowd violently broke and threw chairs and bottles, vandalising the stadium after their defeat. The clashes soon spread from the stadium to the social media, with insulting trends such as #NamakHaram against Afghanistan. The Pakistan media then started a nationwide campaign against the Afghans.

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