Taliban Confirm China-Mediated Talks With Pakistan

Sources said Azimi, imam of the Sayyid al-Shuhada Mosque in Jebrail and a member of Herat’s Shia Ulema Council, was detained on Wednesday afternoon before prayers by Taliban intelligence and morality police officers.

There is still no information about his whereabouts, and his relatives have been unable to contact him.

Azimi had previously been arrested by the Taliban in late 2024.

It is reported that his earlier detention, after which he was released on bail following mediation by community elders, was linked to his protest against Taliban restrictions on Ashura ceremonies.

Sources in Herat also said the Taliban have recently detained several other Shia clerics for holding Eid prayers.

Previously, the Taliban had forced people in various provinces to observe Eid prayers a day earlier in line with the group’s announcement.

Speaking at a press conference in St Petersburg on Wednesday, April 1, he said Uzbekistan is Russia’s partner within the Commonwealth of Independent States and an important partner in developing ties with Afghanistan. "We are building a partnership to develop the Afghan-Trans corridor," he said.

The Russian official added that there are many projects in Uzbekistan and Russia expects its companies to take part in them. Nikitin specifically referred to the Afghan-Trans railway project.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev had earlier signed an international agreement on a feasibility study for the Afghan-Trans railway project.

The agreement outlines a framework for a regional transport corridor linking Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

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.

The negotiations, held on Wednesday, focused on reducing tensions, establishing a ceasefire and reopening border crossings.

Delegations from Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban met in Urumqi under China’s auspices following deadly clashes between the two sides. A source told Dawn newspaper the meeting produced no breakthrough.

The source said China would continue engaging with both sides, with initial discussions centred on a ceasefire and reopening crossings for trade and movement.

The meeting marked the first since heavy fighting in recent months and Pakistan’s “Ghazab lil Haq” operation against the Taliban. Pakistan had previously ruled out direct negotiations with the Taliban, although a Pakistani official said the meeting was not specifically intended as a mediation effort.

According to Dawn, the talks focused on exchanging views on recent tensions, with no major outcome expected. China appeared to prioritise confidence-building measures and reopening trade routes.

Pakistani sources said Islamabad again raised concerns about the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Taliban representatives expressed willingness to address the concerns but maintained that TTP activities inside Pakistan were not their responsibility.

Pakistan is said to have indicated readiness to reopen trade routes and expand economic cooperation. A Pakistani official told Dawn the effort was aimed at managing tensions and exploring economic opportunities, despite ongoing core security disagreements.

The official added that China also has concerns about the presence of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement in Afghanistan.

Sources said the Taliban delegation showed greater willingness this time to act on commitments and agreed to consider a verifiable mechanism to address key demands from Pakistan and China regarding TTP and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring anti-Pakistan militants, an allegation the Taliban deny, describing it as an internal matter for Pakistan.

Reuters, citing four Taliban sources, reported that the delegations in Urumqi were at a mid-level and, unlike previous meetings in Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, did not include decision-makers.

Previous rounds of talks mediated by Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia had failed to yield results.

In separate statements issued on Wednesday, the court said the punishments were carried out by local courts in Farah and Paktika after receiving approval from the Supreme Court.

In Paktika, two people were sentenced to two years in prison and 35 lashes on charges described as extramarital relations. In Bala Buluk district of Farah province, five people were flogged with between 20 and 39 lashes on charges of theft and extramarital relations.

The Taliban also reported that 17 people were flogged in Nimruz province on charges including assaulting a parent, extramarital relations and theft. Those individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five months to eight years, along with 15 to 39 lashes.

In Nangarhar province, six people were sentenced to two months in prison and 20 lashes on charges of not fasting during Ramadan.

On Tuesday, the Taliban also announced the public flogging of two women and four men in Samangan and Balkh. According to the Supreme Court, at least 57 people have been flogged on various charges over the past week.

The United Nations has previously reported that punishments such as executions and public floggings continue in Afghanistan, describing such practices as serious human rights violations.