Afghanistan, Pakistan held 'useful' peace talks, Kabul says

## Summary
https://p.dw.com/p/5Borr Pakistan has carried out heavy airstrikes on Afghanistan since February Image: Hamid Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO Advertisement Talks in China between Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve an ongoing conflict have seen "useful" progress, according to Afghanistan's Taliban-run Foreign Ministry. Taliban offer talks after Pakistan bombing raids To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pakistan says military operation will continue Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with China's ambassador to Afghanistan Tuesday and thanked Beijing for arranging and hosting the talks. The meeting heads vowed to continue their military operation until "the culmination of terrorists' safe havens and use ​of Afghan soil against Pakistan is decisively brought to an end." Escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Latest flare-up displaces some 94,000 people, UN says The United Nations' office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Afghanistan estimates that the conflict had displaced 94,000 people overall , with some 100,000 people in two Afghan districts near the border becoming completely cut off since February due to the fighting. Taliban blame Pakistan for deadly Kabul drug facility hit To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out an air strike targeting a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul on March 17, which it said killed over 400 people .

## Article Content
https://p.dw.com/p/5Borr
Pakistan has carried out heavy airstrikes on Afghanistan since February
Image: Hamid Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO
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Talks in China between
Afghanistan
and
Pakistan
to resolve an ongoing conflict have seen "useful" progress, according to Afghanistan's Taliban-run Foreign Ministry.
The two sides been negotiating in China's western city of Urumqi since Thursday last week in an effort to end clashes that have left scores killed on both sides.
Pakistan has accused the Taliban in Afghanistan of
harboring militants
who launch attacks on Pakistani territory. Afghanistan insists militancy is an internal Pakistani security problem.
The latest round of fighting comes after Afghanistan launched cross-border attacks in response to Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan in February. Pakistan then declared it was in "open war" with its neighbor, with the fighting disrupting a
Qatar-brokered ceasefire
that had taken effect in October.
Taliban offer talks after Pakistan bombing raids
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that
supports HTML5 video
Pakistan says military operation will continue
Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with China's ambassador to Afghanistan Tuesday and thanked Beijing for arranging and hosting the talks.
Muttaqi also thanked Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for their mediation efforts.
"Noting that useful discussions have taken place so far, FM Muttaqi expressed hope that minor interpretations would not hinder the progress of the negotiations," the Foreign Ministry posted on X.
Pakistani officials did not respond directly to the talks. On Tuesday, Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met with top military commanders.
The meeting heads vowed to continue their military operation until "the culmination of terrorists' safe havens and use ​of Afghan soil against Pakistan is decisively brought to an end."
Escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that
supports HTML5 video
Latest flare-up displaces some 94,000 people, UN says
The United Nations' office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Afghanistan estimates that the conflict had
displaced 94,000 people overall
, with some 100,000 people in two Afghan
districts near the border
becoming completely cut off since February due to the fighting.
The recent fighting is considered the most severe between the two countries, though tensions have been brewing since the
Taliban's
2021 return to power in Afghanistan. The group has ties to, but is separate from, the Pakistani Taliban militant group, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.
Taliban blame Pakistan for deadly Kabul drug facility hit
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that
supports HTML5 video
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out an air strike targeting a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul on March 17, which it said
killed over 400 people
.
Pakistan has rejected the Taliban's account, saying it  "precisely ⁠targeted military installations ​and terrorist support infrastructure."
The two parties had agreed on
a pause in fighting
coinciding with the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan, on March 18.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- https://p.dw.com/p/5Borr Pakistan has carried out heavy airstrikes on Afghanistan since February Image: Hamid Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO Advertisement Talks in China between Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve an ongoing conflict have seen "useful" progress, according to Afghanistan's Taliban-run Foreign Ministry.
- Muttaqi also thanked Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for their mediation efforts. "Noting that useful discussions have taken place so far, FM Muttaqi expressed hope that minor interpretations would not hinder the progress of the negotiations," the Foreign Ministry posted on X.

### Areas for Consideration
- Afghanistan insists militancy is an internal Pakistani security problem.

### Implications
- Taliban offer talks after Pakistan bombing raids To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pakistan says military operation will continue Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with China's ambassador to Afghanistan Tuesday and thanked Beijing for arranging and hosting the talks.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers afghanistan, pakistan, taliban topics. Notable strengths include discussion of afghanistan. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 508.