China’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, said on Monday he met with Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, and discussed constructively about Urumqi Process, a regional dialogue mechanism involving Afghanistan that was launched in April.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Sadiq described the talks as productive and said the discussions focused on regional security challenges.

“Held productive talks on regional security, including threats from TTP and ETIM operating from Afghan soil,” Sadiq wrote on X, referring to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).

According to Sadiq, the two sides agreed to strengthen coordination and synchronize counterterrorism efforts aimed at safeguarding regional peace and stability.

Separately, Sadiq met with Erik Kurzweil, Managing Director for Asia-Pacific in the EU External Action Service, and Gilles Bertrand, EU Special Representative for Afghanistan, to discuss the region’s political and security landscape.

“We focused on terrorism and related threats, including those posed by terrorist groups such as TTP and BLA operating from Afghan territory. We reaffirmed the importance of coordinated engagement,” he said.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghanistan, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.

Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Army Staff of the Islamic Emirate, has said that Afghanistan has endured decades of devastation due to foreign intervention and internal conflicts.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the laying of the foundation stone for a mosque in Baharak district of Badakhshan province, Fitrat said the country had suffered the consequences of war for more than four decades, with both external aggression and domestic strife contributing to widespread destruction.

“Our homeland has been engulfed in war for four and a half decades. At times, these wars were imposed on us by the enemies of the country, and at other times, internal conflicts claimed the lives of our people,” he said. “Our enemies divided and fragmented our nation.”

Fitrat argued that foreign actors had, at various stages of Afghanistan’s history, fueled divisions among Afghans and weakened national solidarity, resulting in prolonged conflict and significant human losses.

The senior military official also criticized the policies of some neighboring countries, saying pressure on Afghanistan had increased since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in 2021. He pointed in particular to the ongoing deportation of Afghan migrants from neighboring states.

According to Fitrat, economic sanctions imposed on Afghanistan have compounded the country’s challenges, while large numbers of Afghan migrants continue to be returned from neighboring countries on a daily basis.

“With the return of the Islamic Emirate, even some of our neighbors adopted hostile policies and decided to send Afghan migrants back to their homeland,” he said. “Every day, waves of migrants are moving toward Afghanistan.”

His remarks come as Iran and Pakistan continue large-scale deportations of Afghan migrants, a process that has drawn concern from international humanitarian organizations. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that the mass return of migrants is placing additional strain on Afghanistan’s fragile economy and limited humanitarian resources.

The European Union has called on Pakistan and Afghanistan to exercise restraint and seek dialogue to resolve their ongoing tensions, warning that continued hostilities could worsen humanitarian conditions and fuel instability in the region.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said recent fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan had serious humanitarian consequences and posed risks to regional security.

“Pakistan has been locked in a conflict with Afghanistan. The fighting in recent weeks has had grave humanitarian consequences and also risks fuelling further instability and radicalization,” Kallas said.

She noted that the European Union had consistently urged both sides to de-escalate tensions and avoid further confrontation.

“Pakistan has the right to defend itself and its people in line with international law, but dialogue, not air strikes, is the best off-ramp in this situation,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani foreign minister also highlighted security concerns related to Afghanistan, saying the issue was discussed in detail during the meeting. He reiterated Pakistan’s position that militant attacks originating from Afghan territory remain a “top concern” for Pakistan.

The Islamic Emirate has previously rejected claims that attacks in Pakistan originate from Afghan territory.