 "An Afghan Taliban fighter sits next to an anti-aircraft gun near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. File image-Reuters")
Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday expressed optimism that Afghanistan seeks peace but warned that failure to reach an agreement in ongoing talks in Istanbul could trigger “open war.” The remarks came days after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire following deadly clashes along their shared border.
The Istanbul discussions, which started on Saturday and are expected to continue into Sunday, represent the latest effort by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent a return to violence after the deadliest border fighting since the Taliban seized Kabul in 2021.
The negotiations aim to establish a mechanism to uphold the Doha ceasefire over the longer term. Asif noted that in the four to five days since the ceasefire was agreed, no incidents had been reported, with both sides adhering to the truce.
”We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them,” he said in televised remarks from Pakistan. ”But I saw that they want peace.”
The clashes erupted earlier this month after Islamabad demanded that the Taliban curb militants it says are attacking Pakistan from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan launched airstrikes across the border and both sides exchanged heavy fire, killing dozens and prompting the closure of key crossings that remain shut.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants who target Pakistani forces. The Taliban rejects the charge and says Pakistan’s military operations violate Afghan sovereignty.