After months of conflict Pakistan is ready to end this prolonged war with Afghanistan. China has been trying to mediate a negotiated settlement to the conflict between the allies-turned-foes.
Pakistan and Afghanistan confirmed that they are negotiating a durable solution in Northwestern part of china, in Urumqi.
On Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, “but Kabul must “demonstrate visible and verifiable actions”
Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan on February 26. The diplomatic contact between the two sides had largely suspended.
The fighting has killed dozens of people on Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. It disrupted trade and cross-border travel since it started in October.
Pakistan and Afghanistan, both countries had an unstable foreign relations since Afghan Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of safeguarding fighters who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP.) Even though they are directly not associated with Afghanistan they are still allied and according to Pakistan backed by Afghanistan. Kabul however denies the charge and says that it is Pakistan’s own “domestic problem”, denies any involvement.
According to Afghanistan, more than 400 people were killed in the attack, Islamabad said the strike only targeted military installations and “terrorist support infrastructure”.
Al Jazeera reported that, On Wednesday, Farid Dehqan, a police spokesperson for the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, said Pakistan had fired mortars into Afghan territory late Wednesday, killing two civilians and wounding six others, including four children. He said the shelling was ongoing two hours after it started.
Andrabi dismissed the accusation, saying Pakistan conducts operations against fighters with care to avoid civilian casualties.
A 5 Point Initiative Proposed By China During The Pakistan-Afghan Talks
During Thursday’s rundown, Andrabi also directed towards a “milestone” achieved during the visit. A five-point initiative by China and Pakistan for restoring peace and stability in the region. Which is why they called on the immediate discontinuation of hostilities and starting peace talks as soon as possible.
“It is an effort towards ending war, it is an effort towards cessation of hostility and it is an effort towards paving the way for a sustainable pathway towards finding the lasting settlement of the ongoing hostilities,”
While addressing hostilities with its neighbor, Pakistan has also been engaged in a flurry of diplomacy to try to bring Washington and Tehran to the table and end their war.
Andrabi said both Iran and the US had expressed their confidence in Pakistan to “facilitate talks” between the two sides.
China has backed Pakistan’s efforts, aligning itself with the aims of Gulf countries affected by the spread of the conflict in the region.
