ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday cautioned that ongoing negotiations with Afghanistan in Istanbul must produce a workable security arrangement, saying a breakdown in talks would leave both sides facing the prospect of direct conflict.
“We have the option; if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them,” Asif said during a press talk in the eastern Pakistani city of Sialkot. However, he added that the Afghan side appeared willing to pursue stability. “I saw that they want peace.”
His comments come days after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a ceasefire in Doha to halt some of the most intense border clashes since the Taliban assumed power in Kabul in 2021. Asif noted that the situation along the frontier had remained calm for the past several days. “There have been no incidents in four to five days, and both sides are abiding by the truce,” he said.
Delegations from both countries began meeting in Istanbul on Saturday in what officials described as a continuation of the Doha dialogue. The talks are expected to focus on developing a verifiable mechanism to prevent cross-border attacks and maintain stability.
Earlier this month, coordinated attacks were carried out at multiple locations near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, prompting Pakistan to undertake aerial strikes on what authorities identified as militant hideouts across the frontier. The exchange of fire that followed resulted in casualties on both sides and led to the temporary closure of several key crossing points, which remain shut as talks continue.
Islamabad maintains that armed fighters staging attacks inside Pakistan continue to find refuge in Afghanistan. The Istanbul talks aim to establish an enforcement channel to ensure that the ceasefire does not collapse under renewed hostilities.
Negotiations were expected to continue into Sunday.
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