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Pakistan and Afghanistan are holding talks in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi to end the worst conflict between the two neighbours since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, as reported by Reuters.Senior officials from both countries are meeting in Urumqi in northern China after both sides accepted China's offer to mediate. Pakistan's delegation is led by Additional Foreign Secretary Syed Ali Asad Gillani , while the Afghan Taliban sent a six-member team. China is playing the role of host and mediator.The meeting in the northwestern city of Urumqi comes after Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travelled to Beijing on Tuesday to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.A senior Pakistani security official confirmed the talks were taking place "at the request of our Chinese friends," while a second government official said the meeting was meant "to set a base for full-scale dialogue."China has not commented. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither confirmed nor denied the talks were taking place.The conflict, which erupted in late February, has been the most severe between Afghanistan and Pakistan in decades. Shortly after clashes began, Pakistan declared it was in "open war" with Afghanistan, with repeated cross-border clashes as well as airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including several in the Afghan capital Kabul.The conflict followed Pakistan's Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched on February 26 to target militant hideouts inside Afghan territory after what Islamabad described as unprovoked cross-border attacks by Taliban forces.Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing a safe haven for militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, especially for the Pakistani Taliban, a group separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.Pakistan's demands from Afghanistan remain unchanged, it is urging Kabul to take verifiable action against extremists, end any support for militant groups, and ensure Afghan territory is not used as a base for launching attacks against Pakistan.China has sought to mediate in the escalating conflict, sending a special envoy and pledging to play a "constructive role in de-escalating tensions." China's special envoy Yue Xiaoyong met his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Sadiq last month after visiting Kabul.The Urumqi talks follow Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Beijing on Tuesday to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where the two outlined a joint five-point plan for an end to the conflict. Dar returned with Chinese backing for Pakistan's diplomatic efforts.A temporary ceasefire was observed from March 18 to 23 during Eid al-Fitr, partly through mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Fighting later resumed at lower intensity compared to the heavy clashes in February and March, when Pakistan's air force repeatedly targeted what it said were Pakistani Taliban positions and Afghan military sites.Pakistan's former special envoy for Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, said any agreement would need a robust follow-through. "If both sides reach an agreement as a result of reported talks, the critical issue will be a verification mechanism to ensure Afghan territory is not used for attacks against Pakistan," he said.