Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, arrived in Kabul on a one-day visit to participate in the long-delayed second round of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), which had remained stalled since January 2024 amid strained bilateral relations.
Sources in Kabul confirmed that the Afghan delegation in the talks is being led by Deputy Minister of Defense, Mullah Abdul Qayum Zakir. The JCC is a key bilateral mechanism aimed at resolving border disputes and enhancing cross-border coordination.
The revival of talks comes at a time of mounting tensions along the shared border, marked by cross-border militant activity, including attacks by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch militant outfits, as well as mutual accusations regarding the presence of Islamic State operatives.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has launched the second phase of its repatriation plan for undocumented Afghans, a move that Kabul has reluctantly accepted, given that many of those affected have lived in Pakistan for over two decades.
In an unusual move, Afghan Consul General in Peshawar, Hafiz Muhib, has called a press conference later today, signaling the significance of the current diplomatic developments.
Simultaneously, a high-level Afghan economic delegation led by Minister of Industry and Commerce Noor Uddin Azizi is also visiting Pakistan. The delegation comprises senior officials from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, as well as representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Refugee Affairs, Transport and Civil Aviation, Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, along with members of Afghanistan’s private sector.
The last session of the JCC was held in Pakistan in January 2024.
