Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan have seen “useful” progress, according to Afghanistan's Taliban-run Foreign Ministry.
Negotiations have been taking place in China’s western city of Urumqi since Thursday (2 April). China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday (8 April) that the warring countries have agreed to explore a comprehensive solution to the conflict, and that both countries agreed at the meetings in China not to take actions that would escalate or complicate the situation.
Pakistan had accused Afghanistan’s Taliban of harbouring militants who launch attacks on Pakistani territory, which Afghanistan insists is an internal Pakistani security problem. In February, Afghanistan launched cross-border attacks in response to Pakistani airstrikes, after which Pakistan had declared “open war” with its neighbour. The fighting disrupted a Qatar-brokered ceasefire in place since October.
On 17 March, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of carrying out an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, killing over 400 people. On 18 March, Afghanistan and Pakistan temporarily paused fighting coinciding with the end of Ramadan.
Source: commonspace.eu with Deutsche Welle and Reuters
