Informed Sources: Taliban and Pakistan Delegations to Begin Talks in China Today
Informed sources report that delegations from the Taliban and Pakistan are scheduled to begin negotiations on Wednesday in Urumqi, China, hosted by China's Foreign Ministry. The talks aim to reduce tensions amid ongoing border conflicts.
The presence of the delegations has not been confirmed, and the Taliban has not verified any attendees.
On Tuesday, a peace jirga intended as a joint Afghanistan-Pakistan gathering took place in Peshawar. It was attended only by tribal elders, parliament representatives, civil activists, journalists and businessmen from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and surrounding areas. No participants represented Afghanistan. The four-hour meeting focused exclusively on issues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and ended in the evening.
Jirga participants called for a ceasefire and the resumption of talks between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Border clashes and Pakistani airstrikes on parts of Afghanistan, including Kabul, have entered their fifth week. Pakistan states the airstrikes are intended to root out terrorism. The Taliban denies providing support to terrorist groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
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