Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday said that while Afghanistan appears to want peace, failure to reach a lasting agreement during ongoing talks in Istanbul could lead to “open war”. The discussions, which began on Saturday and are expected to continue into Sunday, follow deadly border clashes earlier this month, marking the latest effort by both sides to prevent a relapse into violence since the Taliban ’s 2021 takeover of Kabul. As quoted by news agency Reuters, Asif said in televised remarks, “We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them. But I saw that they want peace.” The clashes erupted after Islamabad demanded the Taliban curb militants it says have been attacking Pakistan from sanctuaries inside Afghanista

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