Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, has wrapped up his three-day trip to Kabul where he met with a number of Islamic Emirate officials for talks on various topics including trade, bilateral relations, regional connectivity and security.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the visit also resulted in the finalization of a schedule for institutional relations and it was agreed that a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting would be held before April 15.

According to a Foreign Office spokesperson, during his visit, Sadiq met Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi where both sides exchanged views on mutual interests, peace and security, trade, and economic cooperation.

Sadiq reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to continuous engagement with Afghanistan and emphasized the importance of resolving outstanding issues to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Both parties agreed to increase high-level interactions and discussions to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Afghanistan and Pakistan trade ministers will meet for talks before Eid-ul-Fitr and that Afghanistan’s Trade Minister Nooruddin Azizi is set to visit Pakistan after Eid to finalize trade-related matters.

Pakistan and Afghanistan also agreed to convene a high-level Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting in Kabul before April 15. Sadiq, along with civil and military officials, will participate in the JCC meeting, Pakistan media reported.

Sadiq also held a meeting with Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, where they discussed bilateral trade, economic relations, and collaboration in regional trade corridors and connectivity.

The Pakistani representative stressed the need to utilize the full potential of regional trade and transit routes to benefit both nations.

Sanaa reported that upon returning to Pakistan, Sadiq briefed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar about his meetings with Afghan officials, highlighting the outcomes and areas of progress in bilateral engagement and regional cooperation.

On the occasion of Ramadan, Bayat Foundation delivered food aid to dozens of needy families in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar this week.

The organization’s officials said that the aid packages include flour, rice, and cooking oil, which was distributed to the needy after a transparent assessment.

“Bayat Foundation helps thousands of families across Afghanistan every year. Fortunately, today this Ramadan aid was distributed to hundreds of families in Jalalabad. This aid includes flour, rice, and cooking oil,” Attaullah Sahil, a representative of Bayat Foundation in Nangarhar, said.

Appreciating Bayat Foundation’s assistance, officials of the Nangarhar Department of Economy called on other charities to help the needy during the holy month of Ramadan.

“These families are very deserving families who were selected after conducting a survey in the presence of representatives of the Department of Economy and Bayat Foundation. All families are deserving, and they include widows, the disabled and the poor,” Mohammad Asif Rahmani, a representative of the Nangarhar Department of Economy, said.

Recipients welcomed the Ramadan aid from Bayat Foundation, saying that those in need require more help.

Haider, an aid recipient, said: “We are very poor people. There are no job opportunities. Thank you very much to Bayat Foundation for helping us.”

Mohammad Zaman, another aid recipient, said: “During this Ramadan, I was facing difficulties. I could not find sustenance. Bayat Foundation helped us. May God help it.”

Bayat Foundation has helped the needy not only during the holy month of Ramadan, but also during natural disasters, and has continued to cooperate with government institutions in various sectors, especially health and education.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, has said that the Islamic Emirate controls power in Afghanistan and security prevails across the country.

Speaking in an interview with Khabar Online, Araqchi said that before the Islamic Emirate took over, different parts of Afghanistan would be governed by different groups.

“The reality is that now there is a power in Afghanistan that has consolidated its rule over the past three and a half years, and unlike in the past, when every corner of Afghanistan was in the hands of different people, this is not the case now. Security and rule prevail. We must address the issues and resolve them for our national interests,” Araqchi said.

The Islamic Emirate welcomed the remarks saying that it indicates an understanding of the realities in Afghanistan.

“This actually means a correct understanding of the realities in Afghanistan. It is a fact that there is a single political governance in Afghanistan that has complete control over Afghanistan,” Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said.

Araqchi also added in his interview that there are issues in Afghanistan that are related to Iran’s national interests, so he traveled to Kabul to discuss them with the officials of the Islamic Emirate.

He mentioned water rights, presence of Afghan refugees in Iran and Daesh as issues that need to be discussed between the officials of the two countries.

The Iranian diplomat said that Tehran, like other countries, has not recognized the Islamic Emirate, but despite sanctions, trade is taking place between the two countries in high volumes.

Separately, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdulsalam Hanafi, said in a meeting with the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to Iran recently that Afghanistan and Iran have long-standing religious, historical, cultural and economic relations, and the embassy officials should make every effort to strengthen them.