Pakistan warns of ‘open war’ with Taliban if talks fail

Pakistan’s defense minister warned on Saturday that if ongoing negotiations with the Taliban do not yield results, the country is prepared to enter into an “open war” with Afghanistan’s de facto rulers.

Speaking to reporters in the city of Sialkot, Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that Islamabad remained committed to diplomacy but would resort to military action if current talks — now in their second round in Istanbul — collapse.

“If negotiations fail, there will be an open war between us and Afghanistan,” Asif said, referring to the Taliban authorities. He added that Qatar and Turkey, the two nations mediating the talks, were participating “in full sincerity,” and that Pakistan was willing to address its security concerns through diplomatic channels — but only up to a point.

The warning comes just days after both sides agreed to a ceasefire following intense border clashes earlier this month. The week-long fighting along the border left dozens dead, including at least 23 Pakistani soldiers, and marked the deadliest confrontation since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

While the ceasefire has temporarily halted hostilities, Asif made it clear that patience in Islamabad is wearing thin.

He accused the Taliban of harboring militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan and described the group’s behavior as “anti-Pakistan,” despite the country’s decades-long role as host to millions of Afghan refugees. “We have hosted them for nearly 40 years,” Asif said. “Today, some four to five million Afghans live, work, and do business in Pakistan.”

He noted that members of the Taliban delegation currently negotiating in Istanbul had grown up in Pakistan and had long benefited from the country’s support — a point often repeated in Pakistani political circles.

“We responded militarily to previous attacks launched from Afghan soil,” Asif said. “Our armed forces and police are fighting terrorists to keep the borders secure. It is due to their sacrifices that our people sleep peacefully at night.”

The Pakistani military claimed last week that cross-border assaults from Afghanistan had triggered its response, which it described as a “decisive counteraction” that inflicted “significant damage” on Taliban and affiliated militant forces.

According to Pakistani officials, the Istanbul talks are aimed at halting further violence and preventing cross-border terrorism. Statements from both sides have confirmed that the agenda includes mechanisms for curbing attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups operating from Afghan territory.

Asif also cited the role of unnamed foreign actors who, he claimed, were exacerbating tensions by using Afghan territory for anti-Pakistan operations. He warned that if diplomacy fails to meet Pakistan’s expectations, “the military option will remain on the table, to whatever extent necessary.”

The remarks echo earlier comments from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stated that while Islamabad is open to dialogue under reasonable conditions, it will not tolerate further incursions.

The recent clashes have triggered some of the most serious hostilities since the Taliban returned to power and have raised alarms about the potential for a sustained military conflict between the two sides.