Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday expressed his deep concern over the state of relations between Kabul and Islamabad during a meeting with Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq.

Sadiq, who is leading Islamabad’s delegation, is in Kabul for the 7th session of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting.

The meeting comes amid growing tensions between the two countries, with Afghan refugee deportations and skirmishes along the border.

Pakistan, which has seen an increase in security incidents in the past few years, has also repeatedly accused the Islamic Emirate of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghanistan.

Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on Wednesday that Muttaqi “expressed his deep concern over the state of relations between Kabul and Islamabad”, particularly regarding the forced deportation of Afghan refugees.

Muttaqi emphasized that both countries should resolve their issues through dialogue in an atmosphere of mutual trust and avoid actions or statements that may lead to public resentment or provoke emotions.

Sadiq in turn noted that the two neighboring countries share deep ties and should explore ways to resolve the challenges that have arisen.