PESHAWAR: A trilateral meeting hosted by Afghanistan in Kabul on Saturday focused on economic and security outlook of the region, according to Pakistan’s special envoy Mohammad Sadiq, as the participants pledged to deepen cooperation in various fields.

The meeting marked the latest round of talks under the trilateral dialogue mechanism between Afghanistan, China and Pakistan that was launched in 2017 to promote political trust, counterterrorism coordination and economic integration.

Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, hosted the talks, which also included China’s special envoy Yue Xiaoyong.

“The first meeting of the Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral in Kabul today... provided the occasion for convergence of views on economic and security cooperation as well as regional stability,” Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, said in a post on social media platform X.

All three sides reviewed progress on commitments made during the last dialogue and agreed to convene the sixth round of foreign ministers’ meeting in Kabul at a future date, according to a report published by Afghanistan’s Ariana News.

The officials also discussed broader preparations for an upcoming meeting of foreign ministers from Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, and reaffirmed their intention to expand political and economic engagement.

Muttaqi highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral and trilateral ties, while the Chinese and Pakistani envoys reiterated their commitment to good-neighborly relations based on mutual respect and non-interference.

China and Pakistan are among the few countries to maintain ongoing engagement with the Taliban-led government in Kabul, though neither formally recognizes it.

Both Beijing and Islamabad have called for stability in Afghanistan to enable cross-border connectivity and curb the threat of militant spillover.

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: People in Pakistan on Saturday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire with India after heavy cross-border missile and drone exchange between the two countries, though some expressed skepticism about New Delhi’s willingness to uphold the truce.

The ceasefire brought an end to one of the most serious military standoffs between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in decades, triggered by a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that killed 26 tourists.

India blamed Pakistan for the incident and launched missile strikes on what it called “terrorist camps” in five Pakistani cities. Islamabad denied involvement and retaliated by targeting Indian military sites.

The hostilities escalated until Washington brokered a truce, announced Saturday by US President Donald Trump.

“Look, the ceasefire announcement has been beneficial for both countries,” said Abbas Raza, a trader in Karachi, while speaking to Arab News. “Who wins when there’s loss? No one wins in loss. People only suffer.”

Muhammad Shehbaz, a local businessman in the city, said Pakistan had exercised restraint for days despite repeated “Indian provocations.”

“India was pushing, trying to provoke Pakistan into escalating the conflict,” he said. “They kept at it, but Pakistan showed restraint again and again.”

“Then yesterday, when Pakistan carried out a retaliatory strike, they were shaken within three hours,” he continued. “They were brought to their knees. And today, they called in Trump and agreed to a ceasefire.”

Zubia Mehfooz, a woman visiting Karachi, said she had been unable to return to the United States, where her family lives, due to the airspace shutdown caused by the conflict.

“I was here for some work and got stuck,” she said. “I have a flight Monday morning. There’s never an issue from our [Pakistani] side. You know where the issue comes from. If the ceasefire holds, it’s a very good thing.”

But in Islamabad, some urged caution, citing past episodes.

“We don’t fully trust India’s statements,” said Muhammad Farhan Hameed, a veterinarian. “Past experiences have shown this. Many treaties have been signed before, but sometimes they behave unpredictably and break from what was agreed.”