Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan have met in Istanbul for talks on how to ensure a recent ceasefire deal between the two countries holds, with the Pakistani defence minister warning of “open war” should the efforts fail.
The discussions, which began on Saturday and are expected to continue on Sunday, come just days after a truce was brokered in Doha by Qatar and Turkiye to end deadly clashes between the neighbours. The cross-border violence killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more.
“We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them,” Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said from the eastern Pakistani city of Sialkot on Saturday.
“But I saw that they want peace,” he added.
Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said the “technical-level talks” in Turkiye are expected “to pave the way for a permanent solution between the two neighbours”.
While Afghanistan’s Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is leading his country’s delegation in Turkiye, Pakistan has not given details about its representatives.
On Friday, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the negotiations must address “the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan”.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harbouring what it calls “terrorist groups”, including the Pakistani Taliban (TPP). Kabul denies the allegation and has blamed Islamabad for violating its sovereignty through military strikes.
Key crossings between the countries remain shut following the recent fighting, with Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimating that traders are losing millions of dollars each day that the closure persists.
Ibraheem Bahiss, an International Crisis Group analyst in Afghanistan, told the AFP news agency that a key topic of discussion during the Istanbul talks would be intelligence-sharing on armed groups.
“For example, Pakistan would give coordinates of where they suspect TTP fighters or commanders are, and instead of carrying out strikes, Afghanistan would be expected to carry out action against them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire that was announced in Doha last Sunday continues to hold.
“There has been no major full-scale terrorist attack emanating from Afghan soil in the last two to three days,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.
“So, the Doha talks and outcome were fruitful. We would like the trend to continue in Istanbul and post-Istanbul.”
