Delegations from the Taliban and Pakistan are expected to begin talks on Wednesday in China aimed at easing tensions after weeks of cross-border violence, according to people familiar with the plans.
The talks, which have not been officially confirmed by either side, are expected to be hosted by China’s Foreign Ministry in the city of Urumqi, the sources said. It remains unclear who will represent the Taliban or Pakistan, and neither side has publicly detailed the composition of their delegations.
The planned talks come as fighting along the Taliban and 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 de-escalate tensions have so far yielded little progress. Talks between the two sides were held last year in Istanbul, Doha and Saudi Arabia, but did not produce a lasting framework for reducing violence.
On Tuesday, a separate meeting in Peshawar, described by organizers as a joint peace jirga, called for a ceasefire and renewed dialogue. The gathering included tribal elders, civil society representatives and political figures from Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. However, no participants attended on behalf of Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the meeting.
Participants at the jirga urged both sides to resume formal talks and reduce hostilities, though their recommendations are not binding.
