'Taliban won't allow any country, including Pakistan, to interfere'

Islamabad: The Taliban on Monday asserted that it will not allow any country, including Pakistan, to interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs as it confirmed that ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed met the insurgent group's de-facto leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul, amidst efforts to finalise a government in the war-torn country.

The questions of interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs were raised after the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Hameed dashed to Kabul on an unannounced visit last week.

Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said that the group will not allow any country, including Pakistan, to interfere in Afghanistan's affairs, Afghanistan's Khaama news reported.

Lt Gen Hameed was the first high-ranking foreign official to visit Afghanistan since the Taliban seized the Afghan capital in mid-August.

During a press conference in Kabul on Monday, Mujahid confirmed that the ISI chief had met with Mullah Baradar during his visit to Kabul, BBC Urdu reported.

The Taliban has assured Islamabad that Afghan territory will not be used against Pakistan, he said. Earlier, Pakistani media reported that a delegation of senior officials led by Lt Gen Hameed was in Kabul at the invitation of the Taliban, but the insurgent group said that Islamabad had proposed his visit.

On Sunday, the Taliban said that the Pakistani spy chief was in Afghanistan to improve bilateral relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban's Cultural Commission, said that the Taliban leaders talked with Lt Gen Hameed about bilateral relations and the problems of Afghan passengers at the Torkham and Spin Boldak passes between Afghanistan and

Pakistan.