ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday denied reports about Islamabad turning down China’s call for a dialogue with Kabul, in a bid to end weeks of fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The conflict began when Afghan forces targeted Pakistan border posts on Feb. 26 in response to Islamabad’s earlier air strikes on what it said were Pakistani Taliban and Daesh camps inside Afghanistan.
China said on Monday its special envoy had spent a week mediating between Afghanistan and Pakistan and had urged an immediate ceasefire after deadly cross-border clashes flared.
However, some Pakistani media reports suggested Islamabad had politely declined China’s mediation efforts, citing Kabul’s failure to change its stance on the presence of militant groups on Afghan soil.
“Pakistan and China remain trusted partners and close friends. We maintain regular and close communication on all issues of mutual concern and shared interest,” Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told Arab News, saying any speculation or fabrication of facts in this regard was “unwarranted.”
