PNN – The Pakistani Defense Minister announced in a speech: If an agreement is not reached, we will have an open war with them (the interim Afghan government); but I saw that they want peace.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing Reuters, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Saturday that he believes Afghanistan wants peace, but failure to reach an agreement in the Istanbul talks would mean “open war.”
The Istanbul talks, which began on Saturday and are expected to continue until Sunday, are the latest effort by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent a return to violence after the worst border clashes since the Afghan interim government took over Kabul in 2021.
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These talks are intended to establish a mechanism for implementing the Doha ceasefire in the long term.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that no incidents have occurred in the 4-5 days since the agreement was reached and that both sides are adhering to the ceasefire.
The Pakistani Defense Minister said in a televised speech: We have the option, if no agreement is reached, we will have an open war with them. But I saw that they want peace.
The clashes began earlier this month after Islamabad called on the Afghan interim government to curb militants it says are attacking Pakistan from safe havens inside Afghanistan, Reuters reported.
Pakistan launched airstrikes along the border, and both sides exchanged heavy fire, killing dozens and closing key crossings that remain closed.