Pakistan and Afghanistan are holding talks in China to end months of conflict, with Islamabad demanding verifiable action against extremists.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan are holding talks in China to end months of conflict, according to two senior officials from Islamabad.
The meeting in the northwestern city of Urumqi follows Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travelling to Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
A senior Pakistani security official confirmed that “a delegation led by an official from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in Urumqi to hold talks with the Afghan Taliban”.
The official stated that “the meeting is taking place at the request of our Chinese friends”, with China seeking to mediate in the escalating conflict.
A second senior government official also confirmed the talks, adding that “the meeting is to set a base for full-scale dialogue”.
The first official said Pakistan’s demands from Afghanistan “remain unchanged”, urging Kabul to “take verifiable action” against extremists and “end any support for the group”.
Pakistan also wants to “ensure that Afghan territory is not used as a base for launching attacks against Pakistan”, as Islamabad says it is targeting extremists who have carried out cross-border attacks.
Authorities in Kabul, however, deny harbouring militants, and there was no immediate comment from Pakistan’s foreign ministry, military, or the Afghan government when contacted.
During his visit to Beijing, Dar and Wang Yi discussed Islamabad’s role in trying to get the United States and Iran to the negotiating table.
The pair also set out a joint five-point plan for an end to the conflict, with Dar having been due to return to Islamabad.