Pakistan’s defence minister stated that he believes Afghanistan wants peace, but if talks in Istanbul fail, it could lead to “open war.” These talks began on Saturday and aim to establish a long-term enforcement mechanism for the ceasefire agreed upon after recent deadly border clashes.
The minister noted no incidents had occurred in the past few days, with both sides respecting the truce. He highlighted the option of war if no agreement is reached. The clashes earlier this month were triggered by Pakistan’s demand for the Taliban to control militants attacking from Afghanistan.
Pakistan has conducted airstrikes and accused Kabul of sheltering these militants, while the Taliban denies this and claims Pakistan’s actions violate its sovereignty.
With information from Reuters