Urumqi | Pakistan

Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and China met on Wednesday in the Chinese city of Urumqi under the trilateral mechanism. Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan on February 26, diplomatic contact between the two sides had largely ceased. A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), who asked not to be named due to the sensitive nature of negotiations, told Dawn that the meeting was not a “mediation effort per se”. The meeting was focused on sharing perspectives on the latest escalation. No major outcomes were expected, though it was believed that China was pushing for confidence-building measures, such as reopening trade routes. Evolving regional situation and balancing security concerns with economic priorities were also a part of the discussion. Diplomatic sources said Pakistan’s agenda included reiterating its concerns over the presence of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Afghan Taliban representatives...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday visited the Urban Operations and Management Center of Urumqi, where he was received by the Mayor of Urumqi and the Vice Governor of Xinjiang.