Afghanistan, Pakistan Agree to Talks   04/09 06:10

   

   BEIJING (AP) -- Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed not to escalate their 
conflict and to "explore a comprehensive solution" after several weeks of 
cross-border fighting that has killed hundreds of people, China's government 
said Wednesday after mediating talks.

   All the parties also agreed to keep the dialogue after seven days of peace 
talks mediated by China in the western Chinese city of Urumqi under China 
mediation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

   "The three parties agreed to explore a comprehensive solution to the issues 
in the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and clarified the core and 
priority issues that need to be addressed," Mao said during the daily briefing 
in Beijing.

   She said that they acknowledged that "terrorism is the core issue affecting 
the relationship."

   Afghanistan and Pakistan said that they won't "take actions that would 
escalate or complicate the situation."

   There was no comment from Islamabad about the weeklong talks.

   But Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said on 
Wednesday that the talks between the Afghan and Pakistani delegations, hosted 
and mediated by China in Urumqi, have concluded.

   In a post on X, he said that the talks were held in a "constructive 
atmosphere," with discussions focusing on bilateral relations, security issues 
and regional stability. Balkhi thanked Beijing for hosting the talks and 
expressed hope that the process would help strengthen trust, deepen relations 
and promote effective cooperation in the region.

   The talks began last week in Urumqi at the invitation of China, in an effort 
to stop the conflict that began between the two countries in February.

   Pakistan, which declared it was in "open war" with its neighbor, has also 
carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including in the capital Kabul.

   Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the talks had been 
constructive.

   The United Nations' office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in 
Afghanistan said on Tuesday that the conflict had displaced 94,000 people 
overall, while 100,000 people in two Afghan districts near the border have been 
completely cut off by the fighting since February.

   Even during the talks, Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out 
shelling across its border on several occasions.

   Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing a safe haven to militants who 
carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, 
known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from but 
allied with the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following 
the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.