Pakistan's defense minister said Saturday he believes Afghanistan wants peace, but warned that failure to reach an agreement at the Istanbul talks would lead to "open war" between the two countries.
"If no agreement is reached, we face an open war with them. But I saw that they want peace," said Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in a televised statement from Pakistan.
His statement comes days after both sides agreed to a ceasefire following bloody clashes on the border, which have been the worst since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
The talks in Istanbul, which began today and are expected to continue on Sunday, aim to create a mechanism for the long-term implementation of the ceasefire reached in Doha.
According to Asif, no incidents have been recorded in the last four to five days after the ceasefire agreement, and both sides are respecting the agreement.
The clashes erupted earlier this month when Islamabad asked the Taliban to strike at Islamist groups that Pakistan says are attacking its forces from Afghan territory.
In response, Pakistan carried out airstrikes across the border, while the two sides exchanged heavy artillery fire, killing dozens of people and closing several important border crossings that remain blocked.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of harboring militants who attack the Pakistani military, while Kabul rejects the accusations, stating that Pakistan's airstrikes violate Afghanistan's sovereignty.
