Pakistan’s Khawaja Asif Warns Of 'Open War' With Afghanistan If Istanbul Peace Talks Fail

Last Updated:October 25, 2025, 20:18 IST

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warns Afghan Taliban of "open war" if Istanbul peace talks fail, amid rising border tensions and recent airstrikes.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif (Image: AP/file)

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday issued a blunt warning to the Afghan Taliban, declaring that Islamabad would launch an “open war" if the ongoing peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Istanbul fail to reach an agreement.

“We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them. But I saw that they want peace," news agency Reuters quoted Asif as saying.

His remarks came amid the ongoing peace talks in Turkey’s Istanbul, days after both sides agreed to a ceasefire following deadly border clashes.

The talks in Istanbul, which began on Saturday and are expected to continue into Sunday, mark the latest attempt by both nations to prevent a relapse into violence after the worst border fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul.

The first round of discussions was held in Doha on October 19. The dialogue was facilitated by Qatar and Turkey, and both sides had agreed to meet again in Istanbul on October 25 to continue discussions aimed at addressing mutual security concerns.

Border clashes erupted after Pakistan urged Kabul to curb militants attacking from Afghan safe havens, a claim the Taliban denies.

Tensions intensified after the Taliban government accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and in a market in eastern Afghanistan. Islamabad had previously launched strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what it said were militant hideouts.

After Doha’s peace talks, Pakistan launched fresh airstrikes inside Afghanistan last week, killing 10 people as the Taliban accused Islamabad of breaking a 48-hour ceasefire. Two children were among the deceased Afghans. In Pakistan, a senior security official told AFP that forces had “conducted precision aerial strikes" in Afghan border areas targeting the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, a local faction linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Moreover, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Saturday said three Afghan cricketers were killed in Pakistan’s Paktika province, after which it withdrew from a scheduled T20 tri-series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka that was scheduled to begin on November 17.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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