text: May make the story more juicy, but it is probably irrelevant.
  .
  It is more likely payback for White House pandering to Saudi Arabia.  Think of KSA as the paymasters of Pakistan and the Taliban.  More likely that the  timing is related to the WH repudiation of the Iran deal - something much desired by KSA.
  .
  Note that the villains here are the Haqqani network, not exactly the same as the Taliban.  Given the murkiness, who knows whether there was a betrayal, a settling of scores, double dealing by Pakistan's ISI, or something else. Is there proof the kidnappers were killed?
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  They were likely only interested in the US citizens.  They are highly valuable hostages (even women who the captors may deem worthless in their own context).  Canadians are much less so.  KSA is interested in providing special gifts to the WH.  If an incidental Canadian had been lost or killed in the episode it would likely not have mattered.  Canada isn't a player.
  .
  Or it just might have been a coincidence.