Negotiating teams from Afghanistan and Pakistan will meet in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday to consolidate the ceasefire along their shared border, where there have been clashes over the past two weeks that have left dozens dead.
The confrontation began after bombings in the Afghan capital Kabul, which Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers blamed on Pakistan and responded with cross-border attacks, prompting Islamabad to respond with “precision strikes” against armed groups in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister warns of ‘open war’ if talks fail
In televised comments on Saturday, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said he believed Afghanistan wanted peace, but failure to reach an agreement at the Istanbul talks would lead to war.
He said, “We have the option, if there is no agreement then we will go to open war with them.”
“But I saw that they wanted peace,” he said.
Asif said both sides are currently complying with the ceasefire agreed in Doha and there have been no incidents since its establishment.
What do Afghan and Pakistani negotiators hope to achieve in Istanbul?
After the first 48-hour ceasefire broke down, with Kabul blaming Islamabad, a second force brokered by Qatar and Turkey was deployed last Sunday, which appears to be holding.
Negotiators in Istanbul are expected to detail “mechanisms” to cement that second ceasefire.
The Afghan Taliban government says it aims to ensure the territorial integrity of its country, while the Pakistani Foreign Ministry has said talks are needed to address “the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan”.
Accused of harboring ‘terrorist’ groups
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of “harboring” groups it considers “terrorist”, above all the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).
Kabul denied the allegation.
Pakistan has otherwise been a key supporter of the Taliban as it tries to gain allies amid its rivalry with India.
The Kabul blasts that triggered the recent violence came as the Taliban’s foreign minister was visiting India in an unprecedented move.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez