By The South Asia Times

KABUL - Delegations from Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban reportedly began talks in the Chinese city of Urumqi on Wednesday, seeking to de-escalate weeks of deadly cross-border violence that has pushed the fragile neighbors to the brink of all-out conflict, according to local broadcaster Amu TV. 

The talks, hosted by China's Foreign Ministry at the request of Beijing, mark the first significant engagement between the two sides after earlier mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkiye failed to produce a lasting ceasefire.

Sources in Kabul confirmed that a delegation led by officials from Foreign and Interior Ministries are participating in the talks, which are intended to "set a base for full-scale dialogue." However, Islamabad and Kabul didn't officially confirm the beginning of any peace talks in China. 

China, one of Pakistan's closest partners, has been quietly working to mediate the escalating conflict. Beijing sent a special envoy and pledged to play a "constructive role in de-escalating tensions," calling on both sides to exercise "calm and restraint" .

The talks come just a day after Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.

During that visit, Dar's second to China this year, Wang Yi insisted the injured Pakistani diplomat stay overnight for medical care after learning of his shoulder fracture, in a gesture widely seen as emblematic of the deep "iron brotherhood" between the two nations.

The conflict, which intensified on February 26 following Pakistani airstrikes and a subsequent Afghan ground offensive, has taken a devastating toll on Pakistan. According to official statements and local reports, militant violence has surged across Pakistan since the Taliban's return to power in Kabul in 2021, with approximately 5,000 civilians and security personnel martyred in attacks during this period.

One of the most gruesome incidents occurred on February 23 in the Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Terrorists ambushed two Rescue 1122 ambulances transporting wounded paramilitary Federal Constabulary personnel. After opening fire, the attackers set one of the ambulances ablaze, burning the injured soldiers alive. Three security personnel were martyred, while six others—including two rescuers—suffered severe burns.

"The martyrs, all sons of the soil from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were burned alive," reported ARY News. The terrorists filmed the horrific act and circulated the footage on social media in an attempt to spread terror.

In response to escalating attacks, Pakistan launched "Operation Ghazab Lil Haq," a major military campaign targeting militant infrastructure across the border. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has provided detailed updates on the operation's progress.

In a statement earlier this month, Tarar reported that 663 Afghan Taliban operatives had been killed and more than 887 injured during the operation.  Pakistan also destroyed dozens of Taliban checkpoints and targeted nearly 100 locations across Afghanistan.

Tarar emphasized that Pakistani forces conducted "precise strikes" only against military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, and that no civilian populations or civilian infrastructure were targeted, contrary to claims made by Afghan officials.

The current escalation follows months of mounting tensions. On February 21, Pakistani airstrikes targeted militant hideouts in three Afghan provinces -- Paktika, Nangarhar, and Khost -- in retaliation for a series of suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu that claimed the lives of Pakistani security personnel and civilians. Pakistani officials reported that over 100 militants who "controlled terrorist networks" were killed in those strikes.

The situation worsened dramatically on February 26 when Afghan forces launched a ground offensive in response to the Pakistani airstrikes, leading to weeks of cross-border shelling and clashes. 

Throughout the conflict, Pakistan has maintained that its operations target Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups it accuses of operating from Afghan territory. Islamabad has repeatedly demanded that Kabul take "verifiable action" against extremists and "ensure that Afghan territory is not used as a base for launching attacks against Pakistan".

The Taliban, however, have denied harboring militants, insisting that Afghanistan's soil is not used against neighboring countries.