China to continue mediation efforts between Pakistan, Afghanistan

Islamabad : In a recent official statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that its envoy is currently engaged in shuttle diplomacy. "China hopes both sides will remain calm and exercise restraint, hold face-to-face talks as soon as possible, achieve a ceasefire at an early date, and resolve disputes and differences through dialogue," the ministry stated.

While Pakistan has expressed appreciation for China's attempts to mediate, insiders told The Express Tribune that Islamabad is firm on the fact that standard diplomacy cannot resume without "tangible changes" on the ground. Sources noted that Pakistan feels it has already exhausted all diplomatic paths before settling on its current strategy toward the Taliban.

Despite these efforts, recent discussions with the Chinese envoy suggested that the Taliban's leadership has not shifted its perspective. According to officials, the authorities in Kabul continue to label the TTP issue as Pakistan’s "internal problem," while insisting that their soil is not being utilized for cross-border attacks.

Islamabad has dismissed these assertions, citing evidence from international bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, to support its claims of TTP activity within Afghanistan. Consequently, Pakistan informed Beijing that meaningful progress is unlikely until Kabul takes concrete action.

During a weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi reaffirmed that the current policy remains in place. "As regards the situation in Afghanistan, the situation remains the same. We have emphatically communicated to Afghanistan and to our interlocutors that we need verifiable assurances from the Afghan side that their territory would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan," Andrabi stated. He further clarified, "Since those assurances have not been received, we will continue with our existing policy with respect to that country."