Pakistan says a new round of peace talks with Afghanistan is underway in China after deadly fighting

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan on Thursday confirmed it was holding peace talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban government in China, where Beijing is mediating to broker a lasting ceasefire after weeks of fighting that have killed hundreds, disrupting trade and cross-border travel.

The confirmation of the new round of talks came a day after officials from the two sides told The Associated Press that representatives from the two countries had traveled to Urumqi in northern China, where they held the first round of talks.

It remains unclear who is representing Pakistan and Afghanistan in the latest negotiations in China.

In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a news briefing that the talks are ongoing. “Yes, Pakistan has sent a delegation to Urumqi, in line with its consistent position and longstanding practice of supporting a credible process that can help find a durable solution to cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan,” he said.

However, Andrabi said success of the talks largely depends on Kabul.

“The burden of a real process lies with Afghanistan, which must demonstrate visible and verifiable action against terrorist groups using Afghan soil against Pakistan,” he said.

Andrabi said Pakistan has never shied away from dialogue on the issue. “We remain engaged with the Chinese leadership on this issue and other relevant international partners,” he said, but maintained that Pakistan is seeking written assurances from Kabul that Afghan soil will not be used for attacks against Pakistan.

There was no immediate comment from Kabul.

Though China has not officially confirmed the talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday said Xi Jinping’s government has been “actively mediating and facilitating the resolution of conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China has “always supported both sides in resolving their differences through dialogue and negotiation.”

Despite the ongoing peace talks, Pakistan’s operations against the Pakistani Taliban along the border with Afghanistan and other militant groups will continue, according to Andrabi.

On Wednesday, Farid Dehqan, a police spokesperson for the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, said Pakistan had fired mortars into Afghan territory late Wednesday, killing two civilians and wounding six others, including four children. He said the shelling was ongoing two hours after it started.

Andrabi dismissed the accusation, saying Pakistan conducts operations against militants with care to avoid civilian casualties.

Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan of providing a safe haven to militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

The fighting between the two sides has been the deadliest since February, when Afghanistan's Taliban government said Pakistan launched strikes in Kabul and several other areas, causing mostly civilian casualties. Pakistan has said it targeted hideouts of TTP.

Pakistan has also said it is in “open war” with Afghanistan.

Tensions have been especially high since last month when Afghanistan said a Pakistani airstrike at a drug-treatment center in Kabul killed more than 400 people. The death toll could not be independently confirmed, and Pakistan has disputed the claim. It denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot in Kabul.

The latest peace talks in China followed earlier rounds held in Qatar and Turkey, during which the two sides agreed to a ceasefire which largely remained in place until Pakistan carried out strikes in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan in late February, triggering border clashes which have subsided in recent days.

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have a history of tense relations, but the ongoing violence has alarmed the international community, particularly because apart from outlawed TTP, other militant groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State group remain present in the region and have sought to regroup.

———

Castillo reported from Beijing.