Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan gathered in Istanbul beginning Saturday for a second round of negotiations aimed at cementing a recently brokered cease fire, with Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warning that failure to reach an agreement could lead to “open war” between the neighbours.
The diplomatic meeting in Turkiye follows a truce negotiated in Doha last week by Qatar and Turkey to stop deadly cross-border clashes that killed dozens and wounded hundreds. The discussions intend to move beyond the cease-fire and craft a lasting mechanism for preventing future violence.
Asif said from the Pakistani city of Sialkot, “We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them. But I saw that they want peace.” He added that the cease-fire has held for “four to five days,” but optimism should be cautious.
On the Afghan side, Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib leads Kabul’s delegation to Istanbul while Pakistan has not publicly named its team. Islamabad insists the agenda must include action against militant groups based in Afghan territory, a major point of contention. “The negotiations must address the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan,” said a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson.
Key trade crossings remain shut following the recent violence, and Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates that traders lose millions of dollars each day as supply chains stall.
The Doha-brokered agreement came amid the worst border fighting since the Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and related groups escalated attacks after the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. The Istanbul discussions are expected to run into Sunday and aim to produce a verifiable mechanism for monitoring the cease-fire, maintaining it and then defining prohibited actions and outlining coordination on border security. If talks succeed, the pause in violence may hold and key trade routes could reopen; if not, the risk of resumption of hostilities looms.
And with the promise if open war by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the effect of the ceasefire not yielding would be disastrous.
Africa Digital News, New York
