Pakistan minister warns of ‘open war’ with Afghanistan if peace talks fail

Defence minister’s informing comes arsenic countries clasp talks successful Istanbul to consolidate past week’s Doha ceasefire.

Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan person met successful Istanbul for talks connected however to guarantee a caller ceasefire woody betwixt the 2 countries holds, with the Pakistani defence curate informing of “open war” should the efforts fail.

The discussions, which began connected Saturday and are expected to proceed connected Sunday, travel conscionable days aft a truce was brokered successful Doha by Qatar and Turkiye to extremity deadly clashes betwixt the neighbours. The cross-border unit killed dozens of radical and injured hundreds more.

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“We person the option, if nary statement takes place, we person an unfastened warfare with them,” Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said from the eastbound Pakistani metropolis of Sialkot connected Saturday.

“But I saw that they privation peace,” helium added.

Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said the “technical-level talks” successful Turkiye are expected “to pave the mode for a permanent solution betwixt the 2 neighbours”.

While Afghanistan’s Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is starring his country’s delegation successful Turkiye, Pakistan has not fixed details astir its representatives.

On Friday, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the negotiations indispensable code “the menace of coercion emanating from Afghan ungraded 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 done subject strikes.

Key crossings betwixt the countries stay unopen pursuing the caller fighting, with Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimating that traders are losing millions of dollars each time that the closure persists.

Ibraheem Bahiss, an International Crisis Group expert successful Afghanistan, told the AFP quality bureau that a cardinal taxable of treatment during the Istanbul talks would beryllium intelligence-sharing connected equipped groups.

“For example, Pakistan would springiness coordinates of wherever they fishy TTP fighters oregon commanders are, and alternatively of carrying retired strikes, Afghanistan would beryllium expected to transportation retired enactment against them,” helium said.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire that was announced successful Doha past Sunday continues to hold.

“There has been nary large full-scale violent onslaught emanating from Afghan ungraded successful the past 2 to 3 days,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.

“So, the Doha talks and result were fruitful. We would similar the inclination to proceed successful Istanbul and post-Istanbul.”