Pakistan and Afghanistan have held bilateral talks on issues of mutual concern, including discussions on border security on the Durand Line.
"[Pakistani] FM Jalil Jilani received Mullah Shirin, governor of Kandahar today. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to continued engagement & mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan. The two sides agreed to continue high-level engagement and dialogue to further strengthen bilateral relations," a spokesperson of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
On the other hand, the Afghanistan Embassy in Islamabad noted that the discussions between the officials of the two countries focused on the "resolution of potential conflicts along the Durand Line and the establishment of essential facilities for people on both sides."
Notably, Shirin's visit to Islamabad is the first of a high-ranking Taliban* official to Pakistan since the two nations began trading daily barbs over alleged Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP**) fueled terrorism in the neighboring nation.
The Pakistani law enforcement agencies have repeatedly blamed the TTP for targeting the country's security forces and civilians through attacks before crossing the porous border between the two nations to seek shelter in their safe sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
The Taliban, however, has vehemently denied the charge and often urged the Pakistani government to keep its house in order and not blame other nations for what's going wrong in its country.
*The Taliban is under UN sanctions for extremism.
**A terrorist organization banned in Russia and India.