ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Thursday that the burden of ending its conflict with Afghanistan lay with Kabul, as the two sides held preliminary talks to try to end hostilities.
The neighbours and one-time allies have been locked in an escalating conflict over claims from Islamabad that Kabul is harbouring extremists responsible for cross-border attacks.
Negotiations started in Urumqi, in northwest China, on Wednesday, after Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travelled to Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi told reporters in the capital that the government hoped for a "durable solution".
"Our participation (in talks) is a reiteration of our core concerns," he said.
"The burden of real process, however, lies with Afghanistan, which must demonstrate visible and verifiable actions against terrorist groups using (its) soil against Pakistan."
He described the negotiations as "working level talks" and said they were ongoing. "Our delegation has not returned yet," he added.
Pakistan, which has longstanding ties with Iran and personal contacts with the Trump administration, has in recent weeks been engaged in a flurry of diplomacy to try to bring Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table to end their own war in the Middle East.
China has backed Pakistan's efforts, aligning itself with the aims of Gulf countries affected by the spread of the conflict in the region.
Beijing has also been involved in trying to end the conflict with Afghanistan, and has sent a special envoy to Kabul to try to broker a deal.
Pakistan and Afghanistan announced a pause in fighting to mark the end of Ramadan last month, at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
But sporadic attacks have been reported in remote border areas since the temporary truce ended. The Taliban government denies providing sanctuary to extremists.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have previously attempted to reduce tensions since the conflict escalated in February, while talks in Istanbul last November also failed.
