11:40 26-10-2025

Pakistan Warns of Possible War if Peace Talks with Afghanistan Fail

By Moskenes - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Link

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that failure of peace talks with Afghanistan in Istanbul could lead to open war, though both sides continue to observe a fragile truce.

In an interview with Reuters, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that if the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul collapse, an open war with Afghanistan could become inevitable.

Asif stated that Pakistan has a choice — either to reach an agreement or to engage in open conflict — but added that he believes the Afghan side is genuinely interested in peace.

The talks in Istanbul began on Saturday, October 25, and are set to continue on Sunday. Their primary goal is to establish a mechanism ensuring long-term adherence to the ceasefire agreement between the two neighboring states.

According to Asif, in the four to five days following the most recent agreement, not a single incident has been recorded, and both sides have strictly observed the truce.

Earlier this week, Kabul and Islamabad agreed to a two-day ceasefire after a period of heightened tensions, during which an airstrike was carried out on the Afghan capital.