Pakistani Defence minister’s warning comes as both countries was hold talks in Istanbul to consolidate last week’s Doha ceasefire with Afghanistan.

Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan met in Istanbul to discussways to makesure a recent ceasefire agreement between the two countries stays in place. The Pakistani defence minister warned that there could be “openwar” if the talks don’t lead to a deal.

The discussions started on Saturday and are planned to continue on Sunday. https://aje.io/jj4uvh
This comes justdays after a truce was arranged in Doha by Qatar and Turkey to stop deadly fighting between the two countries. The violence across the borderre sulted in the deaths of manypeople and injured hundreds.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, speaking from Sialkot in eastern Pakistan, said, “We have the option, if no agreementtakesplace, we have an openwar with them.”

He also added, “But I saw that they want peace.”

Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said the “technical-leveltalks” in Turkey are expected to “pave the way for a permanent solution between the two neighbours.”

Afghanistan’s Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is leading his country’s team in Turkey, while Pakistan has not provided details about who is representing them.

On Friday, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the negotiations must deal with “the menace of terrorism coming from Afghan soil into Pakistan.”

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of sheltering what it calls “terrorist groups,” including the Pakistani Taliban (TPP).
Kabul denies these claims and has said Islamabad is breaking its sovereignty with military attacks.