A number of visiting Iranian officials have met with officials of the Ministry of Transport and Aviation in Kabul to discuss the expansion of transport and transit services.

Iranian officials say they are seeking to expand economic ties between the two countries and want to cooperate with Afghanistan in agriculture, livestock farming, mining and transit.

Hossein Noorizada, deputy governor of Iran’s Korasan Razavi province, said that Afghanistan has high quality agricultural products, and Iran is ready to help such products reach foreign markets.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that Iran is an important economic partner of Afghanistan and there is great potential to expand economic and trade relations and the two countries should do more in this regard.

"We have the same agriculture as you (Iran) have," said Khan Jan Alokozay, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment. “But we must be given the opportunity to enter a major country that is both your friend and our friend. We should be able to get our fruits and vegetables to India.”

Recently, Iranian investors have become interested in investing in Afghanistan, especially in the agriculture and mining sectors.

Following the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's (IEA) call on the Pakistani government to negotiate with its political opponents, Islamabad on Monday asked IEA to fix its own problems instead of “lecturing a democratic country.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected the Afghan Foreign Ministry's statement on the recent protests in Pakistan as "unacceptable and deplorable" interference in the country's internal affairs.

The statement stressed that the Islamic Emirate should prioritize inclusivity, ensure the right of girls to education and not allow terrorist groups to pose a threat to neighboring countries.

Amid protests by supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, IEA said on Sunday that tensions between Pakistan’s government and the opposition have reached a worrying level and could have a negative impact on the entire region.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the best way to meet the "legitimate demands of the people" was to hold negotiations.

Local officials in Panjshir laid the foundation stone of the new prison in the province on Monday.

Mohammad Agha Hakim, the governor of Panjshir, said at a ceremony that the prison would be built on 11 acres of land at a cost of 12.9 million afghanis. It is being built in Baharak area of the provincial capital Bazarak, the provincial Directorate of Information and Culture said in a statement.

He said that initially, the boundary walls, security towers and water supply system of the prison will be built and later next year, other fundamental facilities will be constructed.

The prison will have a capacity to house thousands of inmates.