Pakistan warns of "open war" if Afghanistan ceasefire talks fail

Pakistan’s Defence Minister has said that he believes Afghanistan wants peace, but warned that failure to reach an agreement during talks in Istanbul would mean “open war,” days after both sides agreed to a ceasefire following deadly border clashes.

The talks in Istanbul, which began on October 25 and are expected to continue into October 26, represent the latest attempt by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent a relapse into violence after the worst border fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul. The discussions aim to devise a mechanism to enforce the Doha ceasefire over the longer term, per Reuters.

“We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them,” the minister said in televised remarks from Pakistan. “But I saw that they want peace.”

Intense clashes erupted late on October 11 along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, after an attack by the Afghan Taliban on Pakistani military posts led to a heavy exchange of fire and reportedly left dozens of soldiers dead.

Afghan troops opened fire on Pakistani army posts along the north-western border with Pakistan and seized several of the posts. The attacks came after the Taliban regime in Afghanistan accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes on Afghan territory, including in the capital, Kabul, earlier this week.

By Khagan Isayev