By Admin 
The second round of peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan started in Istanbul on Saturday. Meanwhile, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif is reportedly not desisting from aggressive statements. He threatened Afghanistan with ‘open war’.
The first round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Doha on 18-19 October, which was mediated by Qatar and Türkiye. The Afghan delegation is being led by Deputy Home Minister Rahmatullah Mujib. Anas Haqqani, brother of Afghan Home Minister Noor Ahmed Noor, is also included in it, while Pakistan is being represented by a two-member delegation of security officials.
Results expected by Sunday
Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who led the first round, reportedly claimed in Sialkot that the outcome of this new round of talks could be known by Sunday. He said that if the talks fail, Pakistan will have no option but to engage in open conflict with Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Daily Times reported. However, he also said that both sides seem to want peace.
Plan to create third party monitoring structure
Pakistani media reported on Saturday that Islamabad also wants to create a ‘third-party oversight structure’, which could be co-chaired by Turkey and Qatar, to verify progress and take action against those who do not follow the rules.
Demand for strict action against TTP
In today’s talks, Pakistan is expected to ask the Afghan side to take concrete action to eliminate the threat from its territory from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Pakistan argues uses Afghan soil to carry out cross-border attacks, the country’s leading daily Dawn reported.
Strained relations and recent clashes
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad are going through a difficult phase, as several clashes have taken place on the Durand Line in the last few weeks. Afghan Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaki’s week-long visit to New Delhi, which began on October 9, has been viewed with great suspicion by the Pakistani government, and drone strikes were carried out in Kabul on the very first day of Muttaki’s visit.
Uneasiness increased due to Afghanistan’s dam construction plan
Months after India suspended the Indus Water Treaty in response to the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, Afghanistan has also announced its plans to build a dam on the Kunar River as soon as possible, which may increase uneasiness in Islamabad. Taliban Deputy Information Minister Muhajir Farahi said on social media platform This step has been taken after the ceasefire between the two countries after several days of hostility.
The Chitral River, also known as the Kunar River in Afghanistan, is a 480 km long river in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. It originates from Chiyantar Glacier located on the border of Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral in Pakistan. At Arandu it enters Afghanistan, where it is called Kunar River. Later it joins the Kabul River in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.