Pakistani Defense Minister Khwaja Asiv said on Monday that he believes that the Afghan side "desires peace", but warned that if the talks in Istanbul fail to reach an agreement, the two countries will fall into "open war".

Asif said that in the four to five days since the two sides reached a ceasefire agreement, there have been no new conflicts in the border areas, and both sides are currently observing the ceasefire.

In a Pakistani TV speech, he said: ¡°If negotiations fail to reach an agreement, we have another option ¨C to openly fight with them.

Asif said Pakistan has "supported Afghanistan for decades" by providing shelter to millions of Afghan refugees. "We have always stood with them in their most difficult years," he added, adding that Islamabad's patience is gradually running out as armed attacks from Afghanistan continue.

According to sources, the Istanbul talks, which started this Saturday and are expected to last until Sunday, are the latest efforts made by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent the resurgence of violence. The talks aim to formulate a mechanism to implement the Doha Ceasefire Agreement in a longer period of time. The move follows the worst exchange of border fire between the two countries since the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021.