New Delhi: Tensions simmer along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border as Islamabad’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif, issued a stark warning to Kabul, stating that failure in ongoing peace talks could unleash “open war.”
The threat comes amid a fragile ceasefire following deadly clashes — the worst since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover — sparked by Islamabad’s accusations that Afghan soil harbours militants targeting Pakistani forces.
In televised remarks from Sialkot, Asif acknowledged Afghanistan’s desire for peace but emphasised Pakistan’s readiness to act decisively. “We have the option; if no agreement is reached, open war with them is on the table,” he declared, crediting the Doha agreement for the current four-to-five-day truce with no reported incidents. He accused the Taliban of betraying decades of hospitality by sheltering refugees while unleashing gunfire and security threats on Pakistan.
The high-stakes dialogue, mediated in Istanbul, Turkey, entered its second round on Saturday, with outcomes expected by Sunday. Pakistan’s two-member security team faces off against a six-member Taliban delegation, including top officials from the home, defence, and foreign ministries. The agenda: forging a long-term mechanism to enforce the ceasefire and curb cross-border terrorism, particularly from groups like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the delegation’s arrival post-Doha, vowing to address lingering issues while rejecting Islamabad’s claims and decrying Pakistan’s military incursions as sovereignty violations. With no official response yet from Kabul to Asif’s belligerence, the world watches warily as two nuclear-armed neighbours teeter on the brink, their fragile truce hanging by a thread.