Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to hold trilateral talks with China in Beijing next week. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to the Chinese capital on Monday, where he is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang, according to ARY News.
Afghanistan’s interim Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi will also arrive in Beijing on May 20. A trilateral meeting involving the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan is expected to follow. The talks will focus on strengthening regional cooperation, trade, and security, amid heightened geopolitical friction in South Asia.
Sources cited by ARY News said the foreign ministers are expected to deliberate on the evolving regional situation, especially in the wake of a major flare-up between India and Pakistan.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours surged after a terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. India responded by launching Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
In the aftermath, Pakistan allegedly violated the ceasefire agreement by initiating cross-border shelling and drone attacks along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border. India retaliated with coordinated airstrikes, neutralising communication hubs and radar systems, and reportedly damaging 11 Pakistani airbases.
Hostilities de-escalated following a mutual ceasefire agreement reached on May 10. In a rare public admission, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that Indian ballistic missiles struck Nur Khan Airbase and other strategic locations. He revealed that the military briefing came in the early hours of May 10, following the attacks.
The upcoming trilateral talks in Beijing are seen as a crucial effort to stabilise the region and prevent further escalation.
