Taliban send five-member delegation to China talks with Pakistan: Report

A five-member Taliban delegation has taken part in talks with Pakistani officials in China, according to Taliban-affiliated media, as efforts to ease weeks of cross-border violence continue without a clear breakthrough.

Radio Hurriyat, a media outlet linked to the Taliban, reported that the delegation included officials from several Taliban institutions, among them Mohibullah Wasiq and Abdul Hai Qanit from the Foreign Ministry. Other members included representatives from the Taliban interior and defense ministries, as well as the Taliban’s intelligence directorate.

Neither side has publicly confirmed the composition of their delegations or provided details about the progress of the talks, which are being held in the Chinese city of Urumqi.

A Pakistani Foreign Ministry official told the newspaper Dawn that the talks were not aimed at securing an immediate ceasefire, adding that Pakistan would not agree to a truce until its demands were met.

The negotiations come as fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border enters its fifth week, following an escalation that began on Feb. 26. The clashes have included cross-border shelling and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. The United Nations has said that more than 76 civilians were killed in the first two weeks of violence in eastern Afghanistan.

Pakistan has said its operations target militant groups it accuses of operating from Afghanistan’s territory, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. Taliban have denied those allegations, saying Afghanistan’s soil is not used against neighboring countries.

Efforts to reduce tensions have so far yielded limited results. Similar talks held last year in Istanbul, Doha and Saudi Arabia failed to produce a lasting framework for de-escalation.

Separately, Taliban said one person was killed and five others, including four children, were injured in Pakistani artillery fire on Wednesday in Sarkano district of Kunar province. Taliban-run National Television reported that the strike hit the Nawapas Dosarka area around 4:50 p.m.

The broadcaster also said clashes were continuing between Taliban and Pakistani forces in Dangam district of Kunar. Pakistani officials have not commented on the report

A day earlier, a meeting in Peshawar described as a joint peace jirga called for a ceasefire and renewed dialogue. However, no participants attended on behalf of Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the gathering.