ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: Top US Commander in Afghanistan Gen John Allen postponed at the eleventh hour his visit to Rawalpindi scheduled for Thursday.

“Gen John Allen’s visit has been postponed. Fresh dates for the visit would be announced later,” a military spokesman at the ISPR said in a text message sent to journalists.

No reasons were given for the sudden postponement.

The ISPR had on Wednesday announced his visit to Pakistan.

US Embassy spokesperson Rian Harris claimed that the postponement was linked to some ‘mechanical problems’ in the aircraft which was to carry the general from Kabul to Rawalpindi.

She said both sides were discussing new dates for the visit.

A source in Afghanistan, however, linked the deferment to fresh inside attack on Australian troops in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province. Three Australian soldiers were killed in the incident. Hours later two more troops died in a helicopter crash.

In an article written by Gen Allen for the Washington Post a few days ago, he had said that Taliban leader Mullah Omar and his aides were hiding in Pakistan.

Increasing ‘green on blue attacks’ — attacks by Afghan soldiers on coalition troops — have heightened tensions between foreign and local forces.

While Gen Allen has insisted that insider shootings will not change withdrawal plans, he has made it clear that more would be done to prevent repeat of such attacks in future.

He was expected to press on Gen Kayani on the issue of Mullah Omar during the visit.