KABUL — Highly placed sources have claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan held a conversation with Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid via Telegram on Saturday evening at around 7pm.
According to the sources, Mujahid thanked Shafi Jan during the reported conversation and conveyed a message of appreciation for KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over positions taken by the provincial leadership.
The sources further claimed that Mujahid told the provincial minister that Afghanistan could provide refuge and assistance if they faced serious difficulties or pressure. He was also reported to have said that Afghanistan could facilitate onward travel to another country if requested, while urging that communication remain open if assistance was needed.
A Kabul Times correspondent separately contacted an individual identified as a member of Mujahid’s personal staff regarding the reported communication. According to the correspondent, the staff member acknowledged that contact between the two sides had taken place.
The reported communication comes amid an ongoing debate over relations between political actors in Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities. Federal government figures have recently raised allegations concerning the KP government’s approach toward the Afghan Taliban and militant groups, allegations disputed by the provincial leadership.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has meanwhile publicly called for dialogue with the federal government, maintaining that political disputes should be addressed through negotiations.