DID Press: Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China convened today (Wednesday) in the Chinese city of Urumqi under a trilateral framework. The meeting marks the first significant diplomatic contact following Pakistan’s launch of Operation “Ghazab-ul-Haq” against alleged terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan on the 7th of Hoot last year.
The meeting was initiated by Beijing with Islamabad’s agreement, while Taliban representatives attended after requesting China to mediate and bring Pakistan back to the negotiating table. The central focus of the discussions is the creation of a “verifiable mechanism” to counter terrorist groups, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
The Pakistani delegation includes officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the military, and intelligence agencies. The Taliban side is represented by officials from the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as the intelligence directorate.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have significantly deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and terrorist attacks inside Pakistan increased. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, previously stressed that peace would only be possible if the Taliban halted support for militant groups.
The continuation of these talks is said to depend on the Taliban’s compliance with security commitments. However, the Taliban have consistently denied involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan or support for groups such as the TTP.