• Source:JND
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Pakistan-Afghanistan border clash 2025: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday issued a stark warning to Afghanistan’s Taliban government, cautioning that Islamabad would resort to an “open war” if the ongoing peace negotiations in Istanbul fail to yield results. “We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them. But I saw that they want peace,” Reuters quoted Asif as saying during a televised address.

Asif noted that the ceasefire agreed upon after the Doha talks has largely held for the past several days. “There have been no incidents in the last four to five days,” he said. “Both sides are observing the truce, and there is a genuine desire for peace.”

His remarks come amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, following a series of deadly clashes earlier this month that left dozens dead on both sides. The latest round of peace talks, taking place in Istanbul and facilitated by Turkey and Qatar — began on Saturday and are expected to continue into Sunday.

Talks Aim To Prevent Escalation After Deadly Clashes

The Istanbul meeting marks the second round of discussions between the two neighbouring nations in just over a week. The talks follow a temporary restoration of calm along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border after the first round of discussions was held in Doha on October 19. The dialogue was facilitated by Qatar and Turkiye, and both sides had agreed to meet again in Istanbul on October 25 to continue discussions aimed at addressing mutual security concerns.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said the current dialogue seeks to establish a “concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism” to prevent cross-border militant attacks. “Pakistan does not seek escalation,” Andrabi said, “but we expect the Afghan Taliban to act decisively against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).” Andrabi praised Qatar and Turkey for their constructive mediation, describing the Istanbul meeting as a continuation of “Doha’s first step toward lasting regional peace.”

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Border Tensions and Airstrikes Deepen Crisis

The fragile calm comes after Pakistan launched fresh airstrikes inside Afghanistan last week, targeting what it described as militant hideouts belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, a faction aligned with the TTP. Afghan authorities claimed the strikes killed at least 10 people, including two children, accusing Islamabad of violating a 48-hour ceasefire.

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The Taliban administration, in turn, accused Pakistan of escalating hostilities and carrying out “unprovoked attacks” inside Afghan territory. Afghan interim government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that a high-level delegation led by Deputy Interior Minister Mawlawi Rahmatullah Najeeb is representing Kabul in Istanbul. “The remaining issues with Pakistan will be discussed in the meeting,” Mujahid said.

With inputs from agencies.

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