Afghanistan–Pakistan border talks continue in Istanbul

Talks between Afghan and Pakistani representatives, which began in Istanbul on October 25, are continuing. The parties are discussing ways to resolve the border crisis. On October 9, Pakistan and Afghanistan had opened fire on each other’s territory. There was a possibility of the war expanding. The sides had also started to capture each other’s border posts, resulting in increased casualties on both sides.

1news.media reports that political analyst Elkhan Shahinoglu stated these words.

“It could have been expected that U.S. President Donald Trump, who acts as a mediator in resolving other conflicts, would also try to reconcile Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although the White House host declared, ‘I am good at making peace,’ he emphasized that he would not be able to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan because he is occupied with resolving other conflicts. It seems that Trump’s advisers have explained to him that the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan has deep roots,” he said.

According to the political analyst, the ongoing talks in Istanbul aim to further strengthen the ceasefire:

“However, the ceasefire is fragile. This is also proven by the latest statement of Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. He said that if an agreement is not reached in Istanbul, Pakistan will launch an open war against Afghanistan. The agreement to be reached is important for the region. Nevertheless, there is a need to define the border between the two countries. Unless this happens, it cannot be ruled out that clashes will occur between the two countries in the future.”