Pakistan and Afghanistan Begin Talks in China to End Deadly Conflict

Pakistan and Afghanistan have begun a fresh round of talks in China to end the deadliest conflict between the two Muslim neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. According to media reports, China has been playing the role of a mediator to resolve the dispute through dialogue after Pakistan launched air strikes on alleged terror targets in Afghanistan in late February. The clashes have caused casualties on both sides, but casualties on the Afghan side have been far higher. In fact, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab-ul-Haq against alleged terror targets in Afghanistan on February 26. This is believed to be the first high-level talks between the two warring countries since then. A senior foreign ministry official told Pakistan's Dawn newspaper that the meeting is "clearly not an attempt to mediate." The main purpose of the meeting is to share views of both sides on the recent tensions. However, the news report said that Beijing is not pushing for other confidence-building measures, as the deputy official said.