Beijing, March 16 (IANS) China hopes that Afghanistan and Pakistan will remain calm and exercise restraint, engage face to face as soon as possible, achieve a ceasefire at the earliest opportunity, and resolve differences and disputes through dialogue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.

Lin made the remarks when answering a query related to China’s shuttle diplomacy between Afghanistan and Pakistan which have recently been engaged in military conflict.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbours, Lin noted, adding that issues between the two countries can only be resolved through dialogue and consultation. He said that the pressing priority is to prevent the escalation of the conflict and return to the negotiating table at an early date.

Lin said that over the past few days, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on the phone respectively with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Lin further noted that the special envoy on Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry has been shuttling between Afghanistan and Pakistan to mediate. Chinese Embassies in Pakistan and Afghanistan have been in close communication with the two sides, added the spokesperson, Xinhua news agency reported.

Both countries have expressed appreciation for China’s active mediation efforts, Lin pointed out.

“China hopes that both sides will remain calm and exercise restraint, engage face to face as soon as possible, achieve a ceasefire at the earliest opportunity, and resolve differences and disputes through dialogue,” said Lin, adding that China will continue to make active efforts to facilitate reconciliation and ease tensions between the two sides.

On Sunday, two people were killed and five others sustained injuries as Pakistani forces launched cross-border attacks in the eastern Afghanistan Khost province, provincial government spokesman Mustaghfar Gurbaz said Monday.

According to the official, the Pakistani artillery targetted some areas in Gurbaz and Jaji Maidan districts on Sunday night, leaving two people dead and injuring five others.

Numerous people, according to Afghan and Pakistani officials, have been killed and injured since the outbreak of skirmishes along the border a couple of weeks ago.

–IANS

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