Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s defense minister, has said that if the peace talks in Istanbul don’t lead to an agreement with Afghanistan, there might be “open war.”
Reuters reported on Saturday that Asif said, “See, Afghanistan wants peace, but if we don’t reach a deal, there will be open war.”
His comments came as the second round of talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan began in Istanbul. The talks are meant to reduce tensions at the border and reach a permanent truce following two weeks of brutal violence that killed scores of people, including civilians.
Talks Start After Deadly Confrontations
The Taliban administration blamed Pakistan for a series of explosives in central Kabul earlier this month, which led to the violence. In response, attacks along the shared border led to heavy warfare.
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire at first, but it fell apart within days, with Kabul blaming Islamabad for breaking the peace. On Sunday, Qatar and Turkey helped to organize a second ceasefire, which has held so far.
Istanbul Talks: Looking for Lasting Peace
Dawn and AFP said that the negotiations in Istanbul are meant to figure out how to keep the borders stable, as was discussed in earlier talks in Doha. The exact time and place of the Istanbul sessions were not made public right away, but both groups landed in Turkey on Friday.
The Express Tribune said that Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is leading the Afghan delegation and that Pakistan is sending two security officials.
“The Islamic Emirate’s delegation, led by the esteemed Deputy Minister of Interior, Haji Najib, has left for Turkey after the Doha agreement a few days ago. “At this meeting, we will talk about the other issues,” tweeted Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, on X (previously Twitter).
Important Issues to Talk About
Afghanistan’s officials are focused on keeping the country’s borders safe, but Pakistan says the discussions must deal with what it deems “the threat of terrorism coming from Afghan soil.”
The discussions need to make sure that Afghanistan’s land isn’t utilized against Pakistan. “Terrorist hideouts across the border have become a big problem,” said Tahir Hussain Andrabi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
The first bombings in Kabul happened at the same time as the Taliban foreign minister’s unusual trip to India, which apparently made things worse between Kabul and Islamabad.
Before things became worse, Pakistan was seen as a significant friend of the Taliban, giving them strategic help in Afghanistan as part of its plan to limit India’s power in the region.
What Comes Next
Analysts worry that the fragile truce might fall apart without a defined settlement framework, even though both sides have said they are eager to keep talking. People think that the negotiations in Istanbul are a very important chance to stop the two neighbors from fighting again.
For now, the world is watching as Pakistan and Afghanistan try to balance diplomacy and defense in one of the most dangerous border areas in the world.