Breakdown in Urumqi

Nothing comes of the trilateral China-Afghanistan-Pakistan talks

After talking about the US-Israel-Iran war in Beijing, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi went to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, where they met Afghan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The purpose was to damp another conflict which had started in the region, Pakistan’s Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq against Tehrik Taliban Pakistan bases in Afghan territory. China has a deep interest in Afghanistan for two major reasons: first, it is deeply interested in developing its mineral resources, particularly its rare-earth minerals; second, it is also interested in ensuring that it does not support, as it did during its previous spell in office, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. The ETIM also came under discussion along with the TTP, showing that the problem was one of terrorism, not ideology. It should be remembered that Afghanistan’s previous attempt at becoming the centre of Islamic militancy ended not just with the US invasion of Afghanistan, but Pakistan gaining a reputation as a centre of terrorism. While Pakistan is primarily focused on the TTP because of the terrorism that it is spreading within its borders, it has also got reason to stop the ETIM’s activities, because it was affecting its relations with China.

Even though the Urumqi talks yielded no real result, there were signs that Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq was yielding results. According to the Pakistan Institute of Security and Conflict Studies, there have been 331 deaths in terrorist attacks in March, a sharp drop from 506 in February. This is despite the TTP and other militant groups having announced that they would increase their attacks after the February 26 start of the Operation. Even as militant attacks increased from 83 to 146, suicide bombings decreased from five to one.

The militants seem undeterred, and the Urumqi talks coincided with a bomb blast in a fruit and vegetable market in Serai Naurang, Lakki Marwat district targeting a police patrol, injuring four of them, as well as five other bystanders. The timing indicates either the TTP wanted to sabotage the talks, or that it is beyond the control of Afghan Taliban, or perhaps both. The Afghan government must realize two things. First, the Pakistan government is compelled to ensure its security. Second, letting a smaller partner act independently is dangerous. The example of how the USA is being forced by Israel to act against its interest should suffice.