Sialkot (Web Desk): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has cautioned that an 'open war' with Afghanistan cannot be ruled out if the ongoing negotiations fail to yield results.
Speaking in Sialkot on Saturday, he remarked that India, having suffered defeat in a past war, is now pursuing its objectives through an Afghan proxy.
The minister criticized Kabul for acting against Pakistan’s interests despite decades of Pakistani hospitality toward Afghan refugees.
He said Pakistan had stood by Afghanistan for forty years, yet elements within the neighboring country are now aligning with Indian interests to undermine Pakistan.
Paying tribute to the sacrifices of the security forces and police, Khawaja Asif said that the nation enjoys peace because its defenders remain alert in the face of threats, ensuring the safety and stability of the country.
It is pertinent to mention that the second round of negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan began in Istanbul on Saturday, as Islamabad pushed for a “tangible and reliable” system to assess the Afghan Taliban’s steps to curb cross-border militancy.
This latest engagement follows the earlier round of discussions between the two neighbours, held in Doha on October 18–19 under the joint mediation of Qatar and Turkiye.
The Doha dialogue was convened after a period of heavy skirmishes along the Pak-Afghan frontier — where trade remains halted — and Pakistan’s air raids on Gul Bahadur group hideouts inside Afghan territory.
Those talks had concluded with the extension of an initial 48-hour truce into a lasting ceasefire, alongside a pledge to gather again in Istanbul to devise a sustainable framework for peace and stability between the two countries.
Earlier on Friday, FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi, speaking at his first official media briefing, described the Istanbul discussions as a continuation of the Doha meeting, which led to a ceasefire between the two neighbours after weeks of cross-border tensions.
He said Pakistan hopes the upcoming session will help establish a solid and verifiable mechanism to monitor and curb terrorist activities originating from Afghan territory that threaten Pakistan’s security.
Andrabi emphasized that Pakistan remains committed to regional stability and does not wish to escalate tensions, but it expects the Afghan Taliban administration to fulfil its international obligations by taking verifiable action against militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (FAK/TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (FAH/BLA).
Calling the Doha round a significant initial step toward lasting peace, Andrabi said that discussions there focused on immediate actions to stop cross-border terrorism and to restore peace along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.
In response to a question, he noted that no large-scale terrorist incident had been reported from Afghan soil in the past few days, calling it an encouraging sign and a result of the first round of dialogue.
The spokesperson also announced that border crossings with Afghanistan would remain closed for now due to security concerns, stressing that protecting Pakistani lives takes precedence over trade and movement of goods.
The crossings have been sealed since October 11 following deadly clashes earlier this month, which left dozens dead on both sides—the worst confrontation since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
The violence erupted after Pakistan urged the Afghan authorities to restrain militants using Afghan territory to launch attacks across the border.
A ceasefire arranged through mediation by Qatar and Türkiye last weekend remains in place, bringing temporary calm to the border, although trade activities are still suspended as both sides prepare for the crucial Istanbul meeting.