High-Level Chinese Delegation In Kandahar With Message From Pakistan, Say Sources

A Chinese delegation has traveled to Kandahar to discuss Islamabad's concerns about the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with the Afghan Taliban leadership, sources said.

According to sources, Islamabad wants to put pressure on the Taliban's decision-making authority through China to prevent the TTP's operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The six-member delegation of Chinese diplomats is scheduled to meet with Mullah Shirin, the Taliban's governor in Kandahar.

A reliable source told Afghanistan International that the delegation arrived in Kandahar on Monday (November 26) and first met with Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. "The delegation will meet with (Mawlawi Shirin), the governor of Kandahar. The main topic of this meeting is the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)," said the source.

According to the source, the Chinese delegation wants to meet with Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and share Islamabad and Beijing's concerns about the Pakistani Taliban, but the Taliban leader does not want to meet with the delegation.

The Taliban has not yet commented on the delegation's visit to Kandahar.

The Chinese delegation, headed by the country's special representative for Afghanistan affairs, recently held talks with the Taliban's defence and interior ministers in Kabul. It is said that the visit of the Chinese delegation to Kandahar was arranged by Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban's defence minister.

Recently, Yue Xiaoyong, China's special envoy for Afghanistan, traveled to Islamabad and then to Kabul, where he met with Taliban officials and emphasised on the need to improve relations between Kabul, Islamabad and Beijing.

Pakistani media reported that Islamabad had shared "convincing evidence" about the sanctuaries of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups on Afghan soil with China's special envoy for Afghanistan.

Recent attacks by Baloch separatists on Chinese and Pakistani targets in more than 10 districts of Balochistan, Karachi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has Pakistan concerned about the cooperation of TTP militants and Baloch separatists. Pakistani officials believe the recent attacks by Baloch separatists are different from the group's previous attacks and are deadlier than its traditional war tactics decades ago.

"It seems that Islamabad, through the Chinese, wants to encourage the leadership and decision-making authority of the Taliban government to prevent the expansion of Pakistani militants' operations in the tribal areas during the army's operations against Baloch separatists in Balochistan," a source familiar with Balochistan affairs told Afghanistan International.

The Pakistani military is concerned that if an operation is launched against Baloch militants in Balochistan, the Pakistani Taliban and other armed groups will increase their attacks in Waziristan and the tribal areas to seize these areas.

According to the source, in August 2022, after the assassination of Pakistani Taliban commander Aftabullah Dawar, who was known as Yasser Tipaki, Pakistani security agencies paid more attention to Kandahar and Nimroz. The Gul Bahadur Group (TTP) has said that the ISI was involved in the assassination of the group's commander.