ISLAMABAD:
A trilateral meeting of officials from China, Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Urumqi on Wednesday against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul, with sources describing the engagement as an exploratory effort rather than a formal mediation initiative.
There was no official word from Islamabad about the meeting. However, sources familiar with the development said the interaction was not “mediation” but an offshoot of the existing trilateral mechanism between the three countries.
They clarified that the meeting does not necessarily signal a shift in Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan, maintaining that operations against terrorist outfits will continue until their objectives are achieved.
According to the sources, the latest engagement was part of China’s efforts to defuse tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government amid a recent surge in cross-border hostilities.
Some sources claimed that the Taliban delegation had agreed to give written assurances that Afghan territory would not be used against Pakistan.
But officials stressed that mere written assurances would not be enough, with Islamabad pushing for a verifiable mechanism to ensure action against militant groups operating across the border.
Officials downplayed expectations of any major breakthrough, noting that the composition of the delegations suggested the talks were exploratory in nature.
Both sides were represented by foreign office, defense and security officials.
In contrast, previous rounds of dialogue held in Doha and Istanbul were conducted at a higher level, involving not only defense ministers but also intelligence chiefs from both sides.
The dialogue process had previously been hosted by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but failed to produce tangible results.
Experts remain skeptical of any immediate progress from the latest round.
Pakistan maintains that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied groups continue to orchestrate cross-border attacks from Afghan soil with the support of Taliban authorities.
But recent UN reports, as well as assessments from Russia and China, have given credence to Islamabad’s position, highlighting the presence of militant groups such as the TTP and BLA operating from Afghanistan.
Tensions escalated in late February when Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting what it described as TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan and declared that diplomatic efforts had yielded no results. Taliban forces responded with retaliatory attacks on Pakistani border posts, raising fears of a wider conflict.
Although both sides later agreed to a temporary ceasefire during Eid, sporadic clashes continue along the border, underscoring the fragility of the situation.
“The delegations from the two sides are not the same that have already participated in the talks in Doha, Istanbul and Riyadh, but yes, experienced people, including from the Afghan side, while Pakistan has mentioned an experienced one, which shows the seriousness of de-escalation efforts to the Chinese mediators,” a senior military source confirmed to The Express Pakinomist.
The two sides would first engage at a technical level, with official-level meetings to be held on Thursday and Friday, the sources added.
“The two sides were asked not to disclose information about the meeting to the media, but yes, we can confirm that the meeting will be held in Urumqi, China,” the source confirmed.
General R Inaam Yousafzai told The Express Pakinomist: “China is a brotherly country and we welcome such a positive response from Beijing, but the ball is in the court of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan; if they actually act wisely, we as Muslim countries do not need any mediators.”
“I personally doubted the assessment that the Chinese would take serious measures or success regarding the Afghan chapter, as Afghans believe in negative relevance, mindset,” General Inaam added.
