- By Shivangi Sharma
- Thu, 06 Nov 2025 03:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, on Thursday issued a blunt warning that "only war will happen" if the upcoming peace talks with Afghanistan in Turkey fail. Speaking to Pakistan's Geo News, Asif claimed that the Taliban-led Afghan government was harbouring militant groups responsible for cross-border attacks inside Pakistan.
He further accused Kabul of turning a blind eye as insurgents attacked from Afghan soil despite repeated complaints by Islamabad about the issue.
Afghanistan dismissed the allegations, decrying what a government statement described as Pakistan's "drone warfare on civilians." The Kabul government insists that Islamabad is trying to divert attention from its own internal security failures while intensifying violence across the common border.
A Pakistani delegation, led by intelligence chief Asim Malik, has already left for the Turkish city where the negotiations are set to start. Their team will be represented by Abdul Haq Wasiq and will include a number of senior officials from the intelligence and foreign affairs departments. The talks will be facilitated by Turkey and Qatar, as has been the case with previous rounds.
Final Chance For Diplomacy
The meeting in Istanbul comes after two previous rounds of talks, none of which ended with tangible breakthroughs. The second round, held from late October, lasted four days but failed to produce an agreement. This led to a temporary ceasefire, which came into effect on October 19.
According to ANI, political analyst Asadullah Nadeem observed that this round "could be the final one, either to confirm or reject the framework of an agreement previously outlined."
Mediators Push For Accountability
In a joint communique on 30 October, Turkey and Qatar welcomed the “active participation of both sides,” but warned that sustainable peace could not be achieved without accountability and restraint. They are expected to insist on a joint verification mechanism to probe ceasefire violations.