Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq Khan, on Monday met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to brief him on his recent visit to Kabul.

Khan and his delegation visited Kabul last week and met with senior Islamic Emirate leaders and acting ministers, including acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Kabir, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, acting Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi, and other senior officials and traders.

"Muhammad Sadiq Khan briefed the Prime Minister regarding his recent visit to Afghanistan," the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Khan was in Kabul when the Pakistan Air Force conducted airstrikes in eastern Paktika province on December 24, with IEA officials accusing Islamabad of violating its territory on the one hand and talking peace on the other.

On Tuesday night, IEA claimed that the Pakistani military carried out airstrikes, the second such cross-border action by Islamabad since March, in the Barmal district of eastern Paktika province.

The IEA deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, the next day, said the bombing by Pakistani jets killed 46 people, including women and children, and injured six others. He added houses were also destroyed.

On Thursday, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch also confirmed airstrikes inside Afghanistan, killing "terrorists."

She said the operation was carried out “based on threats to the security of Pakistani citizens” and rejected the reports Pakistan targeted children and women.

However, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Thursday it received "credible" reports that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes by Pakistan’s military forces in eastern Paktika province.

On Saturday the Afghan Defense Ministry said its forces conducted attacks inside Pakistani territory targeting "miscreants' hideouts."

However, the ministry did not explain "miscreants" or provide additional information about the casualties and locations targeted within Pakistani territory.

Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN) is thrilled to announce that it will produce and broadcast the exciting Ariana Snooker Championship tournament, which is scheduled to be held in Kabul in mid-February 2025.

The tournament will be held for a week between February 11 and 17 with the participation of the country’s top 16 snooker players.

“Today, we are witnessing the signing of a contract to hold a snooker tournament. At the Ariana Television, our efforts have always been to develop domestic and international sports and to bring them to our compatriots throughout Afghanistan in a good and efficient way. This is part of our commitment to the development of sports and the sports community in Afghanistan, and we hope that by doing so, we will be able to draw greater attention to snooker,” said Lutfullah Stanikzai, ATN’s deputy managing director and director of sales and acquisitions.

Wahidullah Asghari, the head of the National Snooker Federation of Afghanistan, said: “Today, with the signing of this memorandum of understanding between the National Snooker Federation of Afghanistan and Ariana Television, another positive step has been taken towards the growth and development, encouragement and motivation of young people to this royal sport, and also towards the reflection of the activities of this federation.”

ATN and snooker federation officials also consider the holding of such events effective for the growth of snooker in the country.

Mr. Stanikzai said: “In many parts of Afghanistan, people play snooker, but it is not mechanized. I think such tournaments and such competitions will have a positive impact and I see a bright future for it.”

Mr. Asghari said: “Broadcasting these competitions through this network and this reputable global media outlet can have a valuable impact on the growth and expansion of this royal sport from the capital to the provinces and from the provinces to the villages and towns.”

It is worth mentioning that two Afghan refugee snooker players residing in Iran and Pakistan will also participate in the Ariana Snooker Championship.

Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most heavily mine-affected countries after decades of conflict, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

In a statement released Sunday, UNAMA highlighted the disproportionate impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance on children, who make up the majority of victims.

The mission called for urgent action to address the ongoing threat, which it said claims lives daily.

Earlier, the HaloTrust mine clearance agency said more than 65 square kilometers of Afghanistan's territory was contaminated with improvised explosive devices, making it among the four most severely mined countries.

It is worth mentioning that Afghanistan has been one of the countries with the highest rate of landmines and explosives left over from the war for many years, and many people, especially children, have been killed in different parts of the country.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), landmines and war remnants are the second leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

According to the UN, from January to June 2024, landmines and unexploded ordnance explosions across Afghanistan killed and wounded 292 civilians, 88 percent of them children.