Kabul retracts its support for the Besham probe

The Taliban administration on Friday rejected Islamabad’s request for assistance from Afghanistan, stating Kabul was unrelated to the event that occurred on March 26, one day after Pakistan requested Afghan assistance to capture the culprits of a terrorist attack on Chinese engineers.

The interior secretary was dispatched to Kabul by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a request for Afghanistan’s cooperation in the current inquiries into the Besham assault.

During their meeting, Secretary of Interior Muhammad Khurram Agha presented proof that connected the Chinese engineers’ strike to Afghan land.

According to a foreign office statement, the Afghan side expressed its willingness to collaborate with Pakistan to see the inquiry through to its logical end, as well as its agreement to review the investigation’s results.

Additionally, the statement stated, “The Afghan side reaffirmed its commitment to prevent the use of their soil for any terrorist activity against other countries, including Pakistan.”

The spokesman for the Afghan Taliban administration, however, disagreed with Pakistan’s assertion, claiming that Pakistan was attempting to sow discord between Beijing and Kabul.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, responded to the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ announcement regarding the attackers of the attack on Chinese nationals in Pakistan. Pakistan needs to take responsibility for its own security, he said, adding that this issue is unrelated to Afghanistan.

He went on, “Targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan is not related to Afghanistan; it is related to Pakistan.” The study released by Pakistanis aims to sow discord between Afghanistan and China. This is something we have consistently refuted, and it makes no sense.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for the foreign office, had earlier stated during the weekly news briefing that there were “robust channels of communication” between Pakistan and Afghanistan. She also mentioned Pakistan’s serious concerns regarding the threat of terrorism it faces from groups that have sanctuaries and hideouts inside Afghanistan.

“We have been involved in conversations with each other to guarantee that the Afghan land is not used to cause trouble in Pakistan. Yesterday, talks were held at senior official levels, chaired by the Secretary of Interior from the Pakistani side and the Deputy Minister for Interior from the Afghan side. She continued, “The Afghan government has underlined its determination to prevent the use of Afghan land against other nations, especially Pakistan.

Pakistan moved to ask Afghanistan for help in capturing the attackers of the March 26 attack, just days before Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to visit Beijing, where one of the main topics of discussion would be the protection of Chinese people.

The Foreign Office formally announced on Friday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will make an official visit to China from June 4–8, as per the invitation of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang of the People’s Republic of China.

There will be three parts to the visit. The prime minister will also travel to Xi’an and Shenzhen in addition to Beijing.

The prime minister will meet with President Xi Jinping in Beijing and speak with Premier Li Qiang at the level of a delegation. Along with chiefs of important government ministries, he will meet with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Meetings with CEOs of top Chinese firms involved in energy, ICT, oil and gas, and emerging technologies will be a significant part of the prime minister’s visit. He will speak at the Pakistan-China Business Forum in Shenzhen, which brings together influential investors, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs from both nations. He will also travel to China’s Agricultural and Economic Zones.

According to the spokesperson, “the prime minister’s visit is a manifestation of the ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China, which is marked by frequent high-level exchanges and dialogue.”

The future course of Pakistan-China friendship will be determined, she said, by the talks the two sides will have to further strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, advance trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in security and defense, energy, space, science and technology, education, and culture.

The spokesperson acknowledged receiving Pakistan’s invitation to the peace meeting in Ukraine in response to a query. She continued without giving any further information, saying, “The invitation is being considered.”