Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday urged the interim Afghanistan government to address all bilateral issues to harness the “full potential for trade and connectivity” between the neighboring nations.
“I had a productive meeting with Mullah Shirin, governor of Kandahar today,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continued engagement and mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan,” he added.
The meeting between Jilani and Shirin—who is also the deputy of Strategic Intelligence of Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry—was on the sidelines of the sixth round of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), according to a statement issued by the Afghan embassy in Islamabad. It said it would include discussions pertaining to “resolution of potential conflicts along the Durand Line and the establishment of essential facilities for people on both sides.”
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Shirin was accompanied by representatives from various Afghan government agencies, including the Ministry of Defense and the General Directorate of Intelligence. The delegation engaged in discussions focusing on key mutual concerns, it added, including peace and security, and people-to-people contacts.
The timing of Shirin’s visit is viewed as particularly important due to the strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan over Islamabad’s repeated demands for Kabul to take action against terrorism emanating from its soil. Shirin enjoys a high-ranking position within the Taliban and his close ties with the top leadership, considered key to resolving the impasse.
Previously, Shirin had also headed a commission to discuss border control and violations with neighboring countries, including Iran, Turkmenistan, and others.