Senior Officials Sent To China For Talks With Taliban, Says Pakistan

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said a delegation of senior officials has travelled to Urumqi, China, for talks with the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said a delegation of senior officials has travelled to Urumqi, China, for talks with the Afghan Taliban.
Tahir Andrabi said the delegation is in Urumqi to explore a “sustainable solution” to stop cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan.
Speaking at a weekly briefing on Thursday, Andrabi said the talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban were being held at a working level and led by senior officials. He did not provide details on which officials were involved or how long the talks would continue.
He said the discussions reiterated Islamabad’s core concerns, adding that responsibility for meaningful progress lay with Afghanistan, which must take visible and verifiable action against militant groups using its territory to target Pakistan.
Andrabi also said Pakistan’s “Ghazab lil Haq” operation would continue alongside the talks.
Diplomatic sources had earlier told Afghanistan International that a new round of talks between the Taliban and Pakistan was taking place in Urumqi. According to the sources, participants include Pakistan’s deputy foreign minister and Taliban officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, defence, interior and intelligence.
Andrabi also referred to the recent visit of Pakistan’s foreign minister to China, during which the two sides discussed tensions with the Taliban and China’s call for an immediate halt to the fighting.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have escalated since late February, following Pakistani strikes in Kabul and Kandahar and retaliatory attacks by Taliban forces.
China has stepped in as a mediator amid concerns over regional stability and its economic interests, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and potential Belt and Road projects in Afghanistan.