Chinese mediation efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan reap no peace

Islamabad: China’s attempts to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan have yet to see any success, as the hostilities between the two neighbours seem to continue intensely, according to a report.

“Despite several mediation attempts by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and China, the tensions have not faded away,” said a report by The Diplomat.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed not to escalate the situation after the Urumqi talks mediated by China during the first week of April, but the lull only lasted a few weeks till Taliban radio reported an artillery strike by Pakistan, which destroyed a health centre in Kunar province.

“While Pakistan and the Taliban are busy fighting, China is still trying to bring their conflict to an end. Beijing has started working toward a second round of talks to mediate the conflict. Chinese Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong met with Pakistani officials and the Taliban in May, separately, to review the progress after the Urumqi talks. China’s efforts appear to put its regional interests first, but the situation demands a more rigid, pragmatic solution addressing the concerns of both sides. Otherwise, the next round of talks are all but guaranteed to fail at delivering concrete results,” the report said.

Pakistan has carried out more than 10 airstrikes across Afghanistan over the past five months, resulting in the deaths and injuries of more than 800 civilians, Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported. Citing its findings, the strikes targeted several Afghan provinces, including Khost, Paktia, Paktika, Kunar, Kabul, Nangarhar, and Kandahar, with civilians bearing the brunt of the casualties.

The attacks have also struck civilian infrastructure, including residential houses, hospitals, schools, and universities.

“Pakistan’s latest strike came a day after a bomb and gun attack on a Rangers facility in Sindh province’s capital city, Karachi. Pakistan’s military said in a statement that militants from the Jamaatul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the TTP, detonated an explosive at the entrance of the Rangers camp in the Gulistan-i-Jauhar neighbourhood of Karachi before opening fire on the paramilitary troops,” the report said.

According to it, this attack is one of the most significant attacks in Karachi since the explosion in 2024, which targeted a Chinese convoy, resulting in the death of two Chinese nationals.

IANS