Pakistan's special envoy to Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, resigned from his post on Wednesday.
"After serving close to three years as Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, I have requested the government that the time had come for me to move on and focus on my personal pursuits — family, books and agriculture/environment," he said on Twitter.
Sadiq's resignation comes at a time when relations between Islamabad and Kabul have witnessed a downturn following numerous militant attacks allegedly carried out by the banned Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP*) in Pakistan.
Pakistani security agencies allege that the TTP is using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside their country, a claim strongly denied by Kabul.
Last month, Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif paid a visit to Kabul to press Taliban** authorities to take action against TTP members residing in Afghanistan and also to destroy their hideouts there.
Subsequently, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry released a statement that mentioned the Taliban had promised them that they would not support the TTP in any manner and would not allow Afghan territory to be used for attacks on the neighboring country.
Despite assurances from the Taliban, militant attacks on Pakistani establishments and its security forces have continued unabated.
On February 26, the Pakistani Army confirmed the deaths of two soldiers following a gun battle with militants in the restive North Waziristan tribal region.
Previously, a suicide bomber allegedly associated with the TTP blew himself up in a mosque located in Peshawar city, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, among the worst-hit by terrorism in the country. The militant attack killed more than 100.
Days later, the headquarters of the Karachi police came under attack by militants, which was eventually repulsed by Pakistan's forces, but resulted in the deaths of four paramilitary personnel.
*Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.
**Taliban is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.