The Taliban leadership had its headquarters in Pakistan and were often said to be in direct contact with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency

With the Taliban struggling to form a new government, Pakistan intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed visited Kabul on Saturday, leading a delegation of Pakistan officials.

Although it is not clear as to what was the purpose of his visit, a senior official in Pakistan had said earlier in the week that Hameed could help the Taliban reorganise the Afghan military.

Pakistan journalist Hamza Azhar Salam said Hameed was invited by the Taliban to discuss the future of the two countries.

“DG ISI, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed has arrived in #Kabul leading a delegation of Pakistani officials on the invitation of the Taliban to discuss the future of #Pakistan and #Afghanistan ties under the new Taliban government,” he tweeted.

The Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid on Saturday said they had to postpone the formation of a new government in Afghanistan for next week, as the insurgent group struggles to give shape to a broad-based and inclusive administration acceptable to the international community.

This is the second time that the Taliban have delayed the formation of the new government in Kabul since their toppling of the US-backed Afghanistan government. The insurgent group was expected to announce the formation of the new government led by its co-founder Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar on Friday, but later postponed it by a day to Saturday.

Notably, the Taliban leadership had its headquarters in Pakistan and were often said to be in direct contact with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

Although Pakistan routinely denied giving the Taliban military aid, the accusation was often made by several countries, including the Afghan government and Washington.

Earlier, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla on Friday said Pakistan has “supported and nurtured” the Taliban that replaced the elected government.

On September 2, Pakistan's interior minister Sheikh Rashid during his interaction with a local news channel admitted that the country has been a “custodian” of Taliban leaders.

Rashid also said that Pakistan has “taken care of Taliban for a long time”.

“These top Taliban leaders were born in Pakistan and they got education in Pakistan. We have taken care of them for a long time. We have done everything for them,” Sheikh Rashid said.