(Reuters) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
PESHAWAR, Pakistan\/Kabul, April 1 – Afghanistan and Pakistan have opened a new round of talks \u200cin China to end the deadliest fighting between two Muslim nations since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, sources said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beijing has been trying to mediate<\/a> a negotiated settlement to the conflict, which has claimed heavy losses on both sides, \u200balthough many more on the Afghanistan side, since Pakistan launched air strikes in late February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Islamabad accuses \u200bthe Taliban of harbouring and supporting Islamist militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul \u2060denies that claim, saying the militancy is Pakistan’s domestic problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new round of talks coincides with Pakistani Foreign \u200bMinister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Beijing to seek Chinese support for Islamabad’s initiative to broker a peace deal \u200bbetween the U.S. and Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Foreign and defence ministry delegates from both countries have travelled to the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi, four sources in Pakistan and Kabul said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The four spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to disclose the information, saying \u200bthe talks involved mid-level officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan’s foreign ministry and the Kabul administration did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u200btalks will focus on a potential ceasefire and on the reopening of border crossings to allow trade and travel, they said, \u200cadding \u2060that the new round of talks was a Chinese initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our top leadership agreed with them and decided to participate in the process,” a Taliban leader in Kabul said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both sides traded heavy fire this week after a temporary ceasefire along their 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pause in hostilities was announced for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr, and was \u200balso requested by Turkey, Qatar \u200band Saudi Arabia, which \u2060Islamabad ended last week, saying it was responding to an attack from the Afghan side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afghanistan has not yet announced officially whether the ceasefire was still holding on \u200bits side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n