IN an important development, China has urged both Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their differences through diplomacy and dialogue as de-escalation was important for regional security and stability.
According to a statement issued by the Afghan Foreign Ministry, China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, visited Kabul on Sunday and held talks with the Taliban Government’s Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as the deteriorating security situation in the region. Yue said China was in contact with both Kabul and Islamabad and was actively working to help reduce tensions between the two sides.
The visit of the envoy as part of Beijing’s efforts to seek an end to hostilities between the two neighbours is yet another manifestation of China’s active interest in promoting regional and global peace and security. It is known to all that China brokered peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023, offered frameworks for peace in Syria and engaged in Afghanistan, boosting its image as a constructive and responsible global power. China has earned distinction by focusing on peace and development, a policy which is in sharp contrast to the policy of brutal use of force to settle disputes as we are witnessing in the case of Palestine and Iran. It is rightly believed that China is increasingly positioning its “path of peaceful development” as a unique contribution to international security. As for its concern over the ongoing war between Pakistan and Afghanistan, China enjoys close relations with both countries and has a robust agenda for economic development of the region through projects like Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the success of which depends on peace and stability.
The visit comes in the backdrop of reports that the Kabul regime was approaching several countries including China in the face of an intelligence-based operation launched by Pakistan to eliminate hideouts of terrorism in Afghanistan and their support bases. Pakistan is not averse to peace talks as it waited for a considerable time in the hope that the Afghan side will respond positively to its genuine security concerns but the Taliban regime continued to host all sorts of terrorists including those belonging to TTP. Its patience thinned out when TTP militants, backed by Kabul and New Delhi, intensified attacks inside Pakistan, forcing Islamabad to hit terrorist targets in Afghanistan. The operation is producing positive results as 583 operatives of the Taliban regime have been killed and 795 injured during operation Ghazb Lil Haq in which 64 locations across Afghanistan have been targeted in airstrikes. Pakistan forces have also destroyed 242 check posts of the Afghan Taliban and destroyed 213 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns.
The operation is proceeding well and producing the intended results but despite all this, we have been emphasizing in these columns that dialogue remains the best option provided there is genuine desire on the part of the Afghan Taliban to address Pakistan’s concerns in a realistic manner. The attitude of self-denial is not acceptable as there are authentic reports including those of the United States confirming Taliban’s patronage of several terrorist outfits on Afghan soil. Latest reports say Afghan Taliban are shielding Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali, Gul Bahadur, Bashir Zeb and other wanted militants from Central Asian states inside the Green Zone of Kabul (including Wazir Akbar Khan area) in an apparent bid to protect them against Pakistani airstrikes. In this backdrop, peace efforts can succeed only if the Taliban offer firm guarantees to fulfil their obligations under the international law and Doha accord to ensure Afghan soil is not used against Pakistan or any other country.
