ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Foreign Office has categorically dismissed media reports claiming the country declined China’s offer to mediate talks with the Afghan Taliban, labeling such speculation as “unwarranted” and emphasizing the enduring strategic partnership between Islamabad and Beijing.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi issued a statement on Monday clarifying Pakistan’s position amid swirling rumors about diplomatic friction. “Pakistan and China remain trusted partners and close friends, and both maintain regular and close communication on all issues of mutual concern and shared interest,” Andrabi asserted. “Therefore, any unnecessary speculation or fabrication of facts in this regard is unwarranted.”
The clarification comes as China has been actively attempting to broker dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where border tensions have escalated in recent weeks. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated Beijing’s commitment to mediation earlier on Monday, stating, “The most urgent task is to avoid the expansion of the war and return the two countries to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” Lin added that China is willing to continue efforts to achieve reconciliation and ease relations between the two neighbors, noting that Beijing has been mediating between both sides in recent days.
This diplomatic activity follows a phone conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi, where Wang emphasized that disputes between Islamabad and Kabul should be resolved through dialogue and consultation rather than force. The call underscores China’s growing role as a regional peacemaker amid the complex geopolitical landscape of South Asia.
The backdrop to these diplomatic maneuvers is a deteriorating security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has experienced a resurgence in terrorism, with Islamabad repeatedly urging the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). These appeals have largely gone unheeded, according to Pakistani officials.
In response to what it describes as unprovoked aggression, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on February 26 following cross-border firing by Afghan Taliban forces. Security sources reported on Monday that the operation continues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram sector, where Pakistani forces targeted and destroyed important Afghan Taliban and TTP hideouts. “During these operations, several khawarij were killed while the rest managed to escape,” a security source said, using the state’s term for TTP militants.
The armed forces also destroyed Afghan Taliban posts across the border in Bajaur sector using guided missiles, with security sources vowing that the operation will continue until all objectives are met. This military action follows overnight strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province on Sunday that destroyed technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility, as confirmed by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
The human cost of the conflict became tragically clear on Sunday when Tarar reported that four civilians were killed and a child injured after Afghan Taliban forces “deliberately targeted the civilian population through artillery/mortar fire” in Bajaur district. This incident highlights the escalating violence that China seeks to mediate, even as Pakistan maintains its military response to what it views as existential security threats.
As regional powers navigate this complex crisis, Pakistan’s denial of friction with China underscores the importance both nations place on their strategic partnership, even as they confront divergent challenges in Afghanistan. The situation remains fluid, with diplomacy and military action proceeding on parallel tracks amid growing international concern about regional stability.