After Kabul Massacre, Pakistan’s ‘Iron-Clad Friend’ China Calls For Dialogue With Afghanistan

Pakistan’s airstrike on a Kabul drug rehabilitation centre has reportedly killed around 400 people, triggering outrage. China, Islamabad’s closest ally, has now called for restraint and urgent dialogue.

China — widely regarded as Pakistan’s closest strategic partner — on Tuesday called for “calm and restraint” after a devastating Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul reportedly killed hundreds of people. The strike, which Afghan authorities say targeted a treatment facility for drug addicts in the Afghan capital, has triggered outrage and deepened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Despite its long-standing alliance with Islamabad, Beijing signalled concern over the escalating violence, urging both countries to halt hostilities and seek a diplomatic solution.

China’s foreign ministry urged the two countries to "swiftly implement a ceasefire" and resolve their differences through dialogue.

China’s Message To Its Closest Partner

Responding to the latest escalation, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing was actively trying to ease tensions.

"China... will continue to leverage its own channels to play a constructive role in de-escalating tensions and facilitating the improvement of bilateral relations," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"Dialogue and negotiation constitute the only effective means of resolving issues between the two countries."

China also revealed that a special envoy had recently spent a week mediating between the two sides, reflecting Beijing’s growing concern over instability in the region.

Hundreds Killed In Kabul Strike

Afghan officials say the scale of the tragedy is enormous.

"The toll is not final as the rescue operation is still going on but we have around 400 martyrs and more than 200 wounded," health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman told a news conference.

Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani gave a similar figure during the same briefing, saying there were "408 killed and 265 wounded".

The strike hit a drug rehabilitation centre — a place meant to treat addiction and provide shelter to some of Kabul’s most vulnerable residents. Instead, it has now become the site of one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in recent months.

Authorities say the number of victims is so high that families have been asked to allow their loved ones to be buried together in a communal grave, particularly as the tragedy unfolded during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Pakistan Denies Civilian Targeting

Pakistan, however, denied deliberately striking civilians.

Islamabad said its military operation targeted militant infrastructure and insisted it had carried out precision strikes on "military installations and terrorist support infrastructure".

The Pakistani military has carried out multiple strikes in Afghanistan in recent weeks, claiming the Taliban government is harbouring extremists responsible for attacks across the border.

Kabul has consistently rejected those accusations.

Kabul Grieves As Questions Mount

For Kabul residents, the attack has turned a centre meant for recovery and treatment into a place of mass death.

With rescue operations still ongoing and hundreds feared dead, the strike has left the Afghan capital reeling — and has raised fresh questions about Pakistan’s cross-border military campaign.

Even as Islamabad insists the strikes were aimed at militant targets, the mounting civilian toll is fuelling anger — and forcing even its closest ally, China, to call publicly for restraint.

(With inputs from AFP)