Taliban urged to join negotiations by China
BEIJING — The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan appealed to Taliban militants to join peace talks following a meeting Tuesday organized by China to mend strained relations between the two governments.
In a joint statement, the three governments called for a “broadbased and inclusive peace and reconciliation process” following near-daily Taliban attacks in areas across Afghanistan. The three governments said they “call on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at an early date.”
Afghanistan and Pakistan are at odds over American and Afghan accusations that Islamabad is harbouring some of the fiercest factions of the Taliban, which was overthrown as the Afghan government in 2001 by a U.S.-led invasion.
“Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to improve their relations as soon as possible,” said the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi. “The two sides unanimously expressed the point that they will not allow any party or force to use their territories to engage in the activities that would undermine the security of the other side.”
The talks reflected Beijing’s efforts to expand its political and diplomatic role in the region. Chinese leaders also are uneasy about the potential for militant activity in Afghanistan and elsewhere in Central Asia to spill across the border into China’s Muslim northwest.
The Taliban have stepped up attacks across Afghanistan since the U.S. and its NATO allies concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014. The insurgents have gained ground across several provinces and increasingly launch attacks in urban centres.
Taliban leaders have refused to talk to the Afghan government but have travelled several times to China, held talks with Russia and Iran, and attended conferences in Japan and Europe. At the Beijing meeting, Pakistan’s foreign minister, Khawaja Asif, expressed hope for progress on proposals to improve trade and co-operation in securing their border areas.
“Pakistan emphasized the importance of border management, the return of Afghan refugees and intelligence sharing for effective counterterrorism co-operation,” said Asif.