China-mediated Pakistan-Afghan dialogue concludes without agreement

Beijing: The week-long China-mediated talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan to end fighting concluded without an agreement, with Beijing maintaining that Islamabad and Kabul have agreed to explore a "comprehensive solution" to resolve their differences.

Representatives from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan held informal talks from April 1 to 7 in Urumqi, the provincial capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

The China-facilitated talks were the first major diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in late February to target alleged terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.

Pakistan accuses the Taliban-led Afghan government of sheltering the members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant groups, which are carrying out insurgency in Pakistan with recurring attacks in several provinces.

Mao said officials from the three sides had candid and pragmatic discussions in a good atmosphere, following a problem-focused, result-oriented, and action-driven approach.

The three sides stressed that dialogue and consultation are the viable and effective way to resolve complex international disputes, including that of Pakistan and Afghanistan, she said.

They agreed to explore a comprehensive solution to address issues in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, identifying both core and priority concerns, Mao said.

Asked whether Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to meet again, Mao said, "I think it is important consensus to stay in touch, and the Urumqi process is quite meaningful. We can expect more communication at all levels in future." China emphasised that terrorism is a core issue affecting Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, Mao said, without explicitly backing Islamabad’s allegations of Kabul sheltering militant groups.

For its part, China too has its concerns over the reported presence of Uyghur militants of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement fighting for the separation of China's Xinjiang province in Afghanistan.

For Pakistan, the talks were complicated by a report of UN experts saying that Islamabad's allegations of the presence of militants in Afghanistan lacked credible evidence.

Last month, UN experts urged the two nations to commit to a permanent ceasefire, while adding that Pakistan had not published credible evidence that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks within its territory were directed or controlled by the de facto Afghan authorities.

The report, released by the UN human rights office of the high commissioner, said that Pakistan's attack on Afghanistan violates the prohibition on the use of force under Article 2 of the United Nations Charter and international law.

For its part, Pakistan questioned the position of UN human rights experts about the lack of credible evidence linking TTP attacks to Afghan soil, claiming that multiple UN and international reports have pointed it out, Pakistan's state-run APP news agency reported.

Afghanistan has consistently denied sheltering groups and asked Islamabad to take action, claiming that these groups are active in Pakistan.

The talks in Urumqi involved mid-level officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Summarising the outcome of the talks, Mao said the Afghan and Pakistani sides reaffirmed that the two countries are Muslim brothers and close neighbours.

The three parties recognised that due to complex and turbulent international and regional situations, maintaining good-neighbourly relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan is crucial for the well-being of their peoples and for peace and stability in South Asia.

The three sides underscored that dialogue and consultation represent a realistic and effective approach to resolving complex international disputes, including the differences between Afghanistan and Pakistan, she said.

China emphasised that terrorism is a core issue affecting Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, Mao said. The three parties acknowledged the substantive significance of the Urumqi process and agreed to maintain communication and dialogue on this matter, she added.