SIALKOT: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warned on Saturday that Islamabad retains the option of “open war” with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities if diplomatic talks do not produce an acceptable agreement.
Speaking at a public event in Sialkot, Khawaja Asif said Pakistan has tried negotiations and expressed willingness to consider terms proposed by the Afghan side, but stressed that if the conditions are not acceptable then military action remains on the table.
He also told reporters that there had been no border incidents along the Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier for the past five days and that Pakistani troops and security forces had made the border “completely secure.”
Asif accused elements in Afghanistan — which he said were working with India — of backing proxy attacks against Pakistan, and reminded the public of Pakistan’s long record of hosting Afghan refugees.
He said any return of refugees would be “honourable and orderly” and would be part of any agreement with the Taliban authorities, remarks echoed on official social channels.
The warning came as delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan met in Istanbul to try to consolidate a ceasefire deal brokered last week in Doha by Qatar and Türkiye.
Pakistani officials and foreign ministry statements have said Islamabad prefers a negotiated settlement but will press for verifiable guarantees — including third-party oversight — to ensure compliance.
What happens next: Pakistani and Afghan delegations are expected to continue talks in Istanbul. Islamabad has called for mechanisms to monitor any agreement; if those talks collapse, Islamabad’s public rhetoric suggests it may consider stronger military options.
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