Islamabad recognizes Beijing’s de-escalation efforts; Policy change unlikely without verifiable assurances
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has politely told China that it will continue its current policy of non-engagement with the Taliban regime, citing Kabul’s inability to change its stance on the presence of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.
The response effectively means Islamabad has declined the latest diplomatic effort by Beijing, a close ally, to ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
China recently stepped up its diplomatic engagement by sending its special envoy for Afghanistan to Kabul and Islamabad as part of a broader effort to ease simmering tensions between the two neighbors.
According to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Wang Yi also had a telephone conversation with Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss the situation.
China’s Foreign Ministry said its special envoy for Afghanistan was currently shuttling between Afghanistan and Pakistan in a mediation effort. “China hopes that the two sides will remain calm and exercise restraint, hold face-to-face talks as soon as possible, reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, and resolve disputes and differences through dialogue,” the statement said.
Beijing also reiterated its readiness to continue active efforts to facilitate reconciliation and ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Sources aware of the developments told The Express PK Press Club that while Pakistan recognized China’s sincere efforts to defuse the crisis, it made it clear that a return to normal diplomatic engagement with Kabul was not possible without tangible changes on the ground.
According to these sources, the Pakistani authorities informed the Chinese side that Islamabad had already exhausted all diplomatic channels before adopting its current policy towards the Taliban government.
Pakistan, according to the sources, has raised its concerns through bilateral channels as well as through friendly countries in an attempt to resolve what it describes as the long-standing problem of the Taliban regime sheltering the TTP and other militant groups.
However, sources said the meetings between the Chinese envoy and Pakistani officials led Islamabad to conclude that the Taliban leadership had not changed its position.
According to officials close to the discussions, Taliban authorities reiterated to the Chinese envoy their long-standing position that the TTP issue was an “internal issue” in Pakistan, while asserting that Afghan territory was not being used against neighboring countries.
Pakistani officials have rejected the claim, citing what they described as ample evidence, including reports from the United Nations Security Council, which they say supports Islamabad’s position regarding the presence and activities of TTP terrorists in Afghanistan.
Under these circumstances, Pakistan made it clear to Beijing that there was little scope for meaningful diplomatic progress unless Kabul took concrete steps to address Islamabad’s concerns.
During his weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that Pakistan would maintain its current policy towards Afghanistan despite calls from some friendly countries for engagement with the Taliban authorities.
“As for the situation in Afghanistan, the situation remains the same. We have made it clear to Afghanistan and our interlocutors that we need verifiable assurances from Afghanistan that their territory will not be used for terrorist purposes against Pakistan,” Andrabi said while responding to a question on the mediation efforts.
“Since these assurances have not been received, we will continue our current policy towards this country,” he added.
However, it is believed that even if Pakistan sticks to its general stance, the possibility of a temporary pause in hostilities during Eid is not ruled out.
