China expressed “deep concern” on Friday over the latest escalation in fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to its own statements, Beijing is negotiating with both sides and has called for a cease-fire, TASR reports, according to a report by the AFP agency.
- China has expressed concern over the fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- He negotiates and calls both sides for a truce.
- Iran has offered to help facilitate dialogue between the countries.
- The conflict escalated, Pakistan launched airstrikes in Afghanistan.
- Negotiations on a permanent agreement repeatedly fail.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing that China “urges both sides to maintain calm and exercise restraint… reach a ceasefire as soon as possible and avoid further bloodshed.”
China is negotiating a ceasefire
She added that the ministry and the Chinese embassies in Pakistan and Afghanistan are “cooperating with the relevant parties in both countries on this matter.”
The conflict between Pakistan and the radical Taliban movement in neighboring Afghanistan further escalated on Friday night. Islamabad launched airstrikes against targets in both Kabul and Kandahar. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif subsequently called the conflict an “open war” on a social network.
### Iran offers mediation
On Friday, Iran also offered to help “facilitate dialogue” to resolve the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, writes AFP.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to provide any assistance needed to facilitate dialogue and strengthen understanding and cooperation between the two countries,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on the X platform.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday morning that his country’s armed forces could “crush” the aggressors after airstrikes on neighboring Afghanistan. “Our forces are fully capable of crushing any aggressive ambitions,” Sharif said, according to the Pakistani government’s X Network site.
Tension at the borders
AFP journalists near the key Torcham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan heard gunfire and shelling on Friday and saw more Afghan soldiers heading toward the border.
The Torcham crossing has remained open to Afghans returning en masse from Pakistan – despite the land border being largely closed since fighting between the neighboring countries in October.
Failure of negotiations
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated significantly in recent months following armed clashes in October last year in which more than 70 people were killed. After the ceasefire was adopted, several rounds of negotiations followed, but efforts to reach a permanent agreement are failing.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring the Pakistani Taliban and allegedly aiding them in cross-border attacks targeting Pakistani security forces. Afghanistan denies these claims.
