Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to avoid escalation: China
The Hindu
Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to de-escalate conflict during talks in China, aiming for improved bilateral relations.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to avoid any escalation in their armed conflict, during talks hosted by China in recent days, Beijing said Wednesday (April 8, 2026).
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The neighbours and one-time allies have been locked in violent confrontation over claims from Islamabad that Afghanistan is harbouring militants responsible for cross-border attacks, which the Taliban government denies.
Hostilities escalated sharply at the end of February, when Pakistani airstrikes were followed by an Afghan ground offensive, with Islamabad declaring an "open war".
On March 16, a Pakistani strike on a hospital in Kabul killed hundreds of civilians, sparking international condemnation and renewing calls for talks on ending the conflict.
"Representatives from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan held a week of informal meetings in Urumqi, Xinjiang, from April 1 to 7," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday (April 8, 2026).
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