ISLAMABAD:
A trilateral meeting involving officials from China, Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Urumqi on Wednesday against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul, with sources terming the engagement an exploratory effort rather than a formal mediation initiative.
There was no official word from Islamabad regarding the meeting. However, sources familiar with the development said the interaction was not “mediation” but an offshoot of the existing trilateral mechanism among the three countries.
They clarified that the meeting does not necessarily signal any shift in Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan, maintaining that operations against terrorist outfits would 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 spike in cross-border hostilities.
Some sources claimed that the Taliban delegation had agreed to provide written assurances that Afghan territory would not be used against Pakistan.
However, officials underscored that mere written guarantees would not suffice, with Islamabad pushing for a verifiable mechanism to ensure action against militant groups operating from 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 sceptical about any immediate progress from the latest round.
Pakistan maintains that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied groups continue to orchestrate cross-border attacks from Afghan soil with the backing of the Taliban authorities.
However, recent UN reports, as well as assessments by Russia and China, have lent credence to Islamabad’s position, highlighting the presence of militant groups such as TTP and BLA operating from Afghanistan.
Tensions escalated in late February when Pakistan carried out air strikes targeting what it described as TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan, stating that diplomatic efforts had failed to yield results. Taliban forces responded with retaliatory strikes on Pakistani border posts, raising fears of a wider conflict.
Although both sides later agreed to a temporary ceasefire during Eid, sporadic clashes have continued along the border, underscoring the fragility of the situation.
“The delegations of the two sides aren’t the same who have already taken part in the talks in Doha, Istanbul and Riyadh, but yes seasoned figures, including from the Afghan side, while Pakistan has named an experienced one, which shows the seriousness of efforts of de-escalation to the Chinese mediators,” a seasoned military source confirmed to The Express Tribune.
The two sides would first engage on a technical level, as well as official level meetings would be held on Thursday and Friday, the sources added.
“The two sides were asked not to expose information regarding 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 Tribune, “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 don’t need any mediators.”
“I personally doubted the assessment that the Chinese would take any serious measures or success on the Afghan Chapter, as Afghans believe in negative relevance, mindset,” General Inaam added.
