The defense minister’s warning came as countries were holding talks in Istanbul to cement last week’s Doha ceasefire.
Published October 25, 2025
Pakistani and Afghan officials are meeting in Istanbul to discuss ways to ensure a recent ceasefire agreement between the two countries is maintained, with Pakistan’s defense minister warning of “open war” if efforts fail.
The talks, which began on Saturday and are expected to last until Sunday, come days after Qatar and Turkiye brokered a ceasefire in Doha to end deadly clashes between the neighbors. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more injured in cross-border violence.
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“If no deal is reached, we have the option of going to full-scale war with them,” Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Saturday in the eastern city of Sialkot.
“But I understand that they want peace,” he added.
Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said it was hoped that “technical-level talks” in Turkiye would “pave the way to a durable solution between the two neighbors.”
Afghanistan’s Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is leading a delegation from Afghanistan in Turkiye, but Pakistan has not released details about the delegation.
On Friday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the negotiations needed to address “terrorist threats emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan.”
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring so-called “terrorist organizations” including the Pakistan Taliban (TPP). Kabul denies the allegations and accuses Islamabad of violating its sovereignty through military attacks.
The main border between the two countries remains closed following recent fighting, and the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates that traders are losing millions of dollars each day the closure continues.
Ibraheem Bahis, an analyst with the International Crisis Group in Afghanistan, told AFP news agency that a key topic at the Istanbul talks would be information sharing on insurgents.
“For example, Pakistan would provide the coordinates of where TTP fighters and commanders are believed to be and Afghanistan would be expected to take action against them instead of launching an attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire announced in Doha last Sunday remains in place.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tahir Andrabi said, “In the last two to three days, there have been no large-scale, full-scale terrorist attacks originating from mainland Afghanistan.”
“So the Doha talks and results were fruitful. We hope this trend continues in Istanbul and after Istanbul.”
