China Confirms Urumqi Talks 'Advancing'; Shelling Continues Simultaneously

China's government confirmed that Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks in Urumqi were 'advancing', with both sides engaging in substantive discussions. However, Pakistani artillery and drone strikes on Kunar, Paktika, and Khost provinces continued simultaneously with the negotiations, underscoring the fragility of the diplomatic process. Pakistan fired an additional 185 long-range artillery shells into a single district in Kunar on April 3, wounding 10 people. Analysts noted that Pakistan appeared to be using military pressure as a negotiating lever during the talks, continuing operations while maintaining a diplomatic channel to demonstrate leverage and assert conditions for any ceasefire agreement.