Afghanistan Peace Campaign
A senior Taliban foreign ministry official said Pakistan’s insistence on raising its internal security concerns caused China-hosted talks between the two sides to end without a breakthrough.
Mohammad Naeem Wardak said Islamabad was trying to shift responsibility for its domestic security failures onto Afghanistan, hardening the Taliban’s public tone after a week of diplomacy in China.
Wardak described Pakistan’s position as “unreasonable,” saying Islamabad wanted to export its internal problems instead of addressing them at home. His remarks reflect Kabul’s long-running rejection of Pakistani accusations that the Taliban are sheltering militants behind attacks inside Pakistan, especially fighters linked to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.
The talks between Taliban and Pakistani delegations ended in Urumqi after about a week without any announced agreement, despite Chinese efforts to lower tensions. China said officials from foreign affairs, defence and security institutions of the three sides met from April 1 to 7 and held what Beijing called candid and pragmatic discussions.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the meetings were held in a “sound atmosphere” and focused on problem-solving and practical steps. She said both the Taliban and Pakistan appreciated China’s mediation and agreed to keep working toward reducing tensions while avoiding moves that could further complicate the situation.
But the absence of a concrete outcome underlined how far apart the two sides remain on the core dispute of militancy and cross-border violence. Pakistan continues to demand verifiable Taliban action against armed groups it says use Afghan territory to launch attacks, while Kabul insists the insecurity is rooted inside Pakistan itself.
The Urumqi process followed months of unusually intense fighting and diplomatic strain between the two neighbours, marking their most serious confrontation since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. China stepped in as mediator after repeated clashes, border closures and military escalation threatened to push relations into a deeper regional crisis.
Beijing has strong reasons to prevent a wider breakdown, including border stability, regional trade and fears that militancy could spill into western China. For Pakistan, the talks were also part of a broader attempt to ease pressure on multiple fronts as it confronts insurgent violence, border insecurity and diplomatic strain in the region.
The latest exchange shows that while China may have reopened a diplomatic channel, the political mistrust between Kabul and Islamabad remains deep. Without movement on the security file, the Urumqi talks may have reduced immediate escalation, but they did little to resolve the conflict driving the crisis