China urges Afghan-Pakistan tensions resolution through talks

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged calm and dialogue during a phone call with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in response to recent tensions. The foreign ministry stated this Friday, emphasizing that resolving disputes should not involve force.

Muttaqi had earlier targeted terror camps and associated infrastructure in Afghanistan, prompting immediate military retaliation from Pakistan. This retaliatory action was met by diplomatic exchanges discussing the situation in Iran as well. According to a statement issued by Wang, Beijing is prepared to collaborate with the international community to achieve peace in Iran.

The recent upsurge in terrorism has strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul last year. Islamabad has persistently urged the Afghan authorities to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on their soil, particularly those associated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Despite these appeals, Pakistan continues to face retaliatory attacks.

A February 16 vehicle-borne suicide attack near the Afghan border left eleven Pakistani soldiers dead and seven others injured. The TTP claimed responsibility for this assault, while the ISPR accused terrorists of violating sacred Ramadan observances. Islamabad vowed to continue operations against insurgents “for justified retribution,” stating that strikes within Afghanistan would remain a military option if attacks continued from across the border.

On February 21, another attack occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, resulting in the deaths of two military personnel and causing injuries to civilians. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned at the time that Pakistan would not hesitate to conduct strikes inside Afghanistan if such attacks persisted from neighboring territories.

Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, had accused Pakistan of bombing Khost province last November, adding air strikes in Kunar and Paktika provinces. Pakistan neither confirmed nor denied these allegations, which were made shortly after deadly clashes along their shared border resulted in the loss of 23 Pakistani soldiers’ lives and over 200 casualties on both sides.

The ongoing skirmishes commenced around October 11/12 last year when Afghan Taliban forces along with India-backed Fitna-al-Khawarij launched an unprovoked assault against Pakistan. These events underscored the persistently tense relationship between the two nations, despite efforts toward dialogue and cooperation in seeking peace within Iran and addressing terrorism across their shared borders.