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News Topical, Digital Desk : On the eve of the resumption of peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Turkish capital, Istanbul, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a sharp warning to the Taliban government, threatening possible military action.
The statement has dramatically escalated tensions and cast a dark cloud over diplomatic efforts to end weeks of deadly border clashes and drone attacks. When a journalist asked Asif if military confrontation was the only option to deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan, he said, “There will be war.”
'The Taliban have turned a blind eye'
The inflammatory remarks, made during a television interview on Wednesday, came just hours before a meeting between senior Afghan and Pakistani delegations in Turkey, mediated by Turkey and Qatar.
Asif also accused Kabul of harbouring terrorists and turning a blind eye to cross-border attacks, a charge Afghanistan has denied by condemning Pakistan's "drone war on civilians" and "silence on training ISIS terrorists".
Read More: 'Now there will be war...', Khawaja Asif threatens ahead of Afghan-Pak peace talks in Turkey
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