ISLAMABAD:
A trilateral meeting involving officials from China, Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Urumqi on Wednesday in the context of the ongoing hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul, with sources calling the engagement 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 a branch of the existing trilateral mechanism between the three countries.
They clarified that the meeting does not necessarily indicate any change in Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan, maintaining that operations against terrorist groups would continue until their objectives are achieved.
According to sources, the latest engagement was part of China’s efforts to calm 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.
However, officials stressed that mere written assurances would not be enough, and Islamabad pushed 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 makeup of the delegations suggested the talks were exploratory in nature.
Both parties were represented by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security.
In contrast, previous rounds of dialogue held in Doha and Istanbul were held at a higher level and involved not only defense ministers but also intelligence chiefs from both sides.
The dialogue process had previously been sponsored by Qatar, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, but failed to produce tangible results.
Experts remain skeptical 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 Taliban authorities.
However, recent UN reports, as well as assessments from 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 rose in late February when Pakistan carried out airstrikes against what it described as TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan, claiming diplomatic efforts had yielded no results. Taliban forces responded with retaliatory attacks on Pakistani border posts, raising fears of a broader conflict.
Although both sides later agreed to a temporary ceasefire during Eid, sporadic clashes along the border continued, underscoring the fragility of the situation.
“The delegations from both sides are not the same ones that already participated in the talks in Doha, Istanbul and Riyadh, but they are experienced figures, also from the Afghan side, while Pakistan appointed an experienced one, which shows the seriousness of the de-escalation efforts towards the Chinese mediators,” an experienced military source confirmed to The Express PAkGazette.
The two sides would first engage at a technical level, with official-level meetings to be held on Thursday and Friday, the sources added.
“Both sides were asked not to expose information about the meeting to the media, but yes, we can confirm that the meeting will take place in Urumqi, China,” the source confirmed.
General R. Inaam Yousafzai told The Express PAkGazette: “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 really act wisely, we as Muslim countries do not need any mediator.”
“Personally, I doubted the assessment that the Chinese would take serious or successful steps in the Afghan chapter as the Afghans believe in a negative mentality,” General Inaam added.
