Islamabad, Apr 16 (PTI) Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq on Wednesday arrived in Afghanistan's Kabul to discuss security and border issues.

Sadiq, who is leading a delegation including military and intelligence officials, is attending the 7th session of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) in the backdrop of rising tensions between the two countries, Afghan refugees deportation, skirmishes along the border, and the increased activity of armed groups within Pakistan, Dawn news reported.

Also Read | Donald Trump Administration Sues Maine Over Participation of Transgender Athletes in Girls Sports.

Pakistan maintains that these armed groups operate from within Afghanistan, a claim denied by Afghan officials.

On the Afghan side, Deputy Defence Minister Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir will lead the meeting, according to government spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid.

Also Read | Gold Rate Today, April 16, 2025: Gold Soars INR 1,650 To Hit All-Time High of INR 98,100 per 10 Grams, Silver Jumps INR 1,900 Amid US-China Trade War.

Zakir is a senior Taliban leader who once led the Taliban military commission during the 20-year war against the US-NATO forces.

“SAPM/Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan arrived at Kabul at the head of a delegation to attend the JCC meeting. JCC meeting is being held after a long gap,” Sadiq said on X.

The last JCC meeting was held in Islamabad in early January 2024.

Mujahid said both sides will “discuss resolving potential disputes along the Durand Line and creating facilities for the people of both sides”.

Pakistani officials said the issue of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other armed groups was a major hurdle in the Pak-Afghan relationship.

Further, Pakistan's Foreign Office last month said the terrorists behind the Jaffar Express hijacking had Afghan connections, with phone records traced to Kabul.

The Afghan Taliban said militants of the ISKP (Daesh) entered Afghanistan from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a claim labelled as "baseless" by Pakistan.

In a separate development, a delegation led by Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce Noor Uddin Azizi will visit Pakistan on Wednesday to discuss the preferential trade agreement, reduction in tariffs on certain items, a revised transit agreement, and facilities for traders at border points. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)