Pakistan has issued a stark warning to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan following the collapse of peace talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that Pakistan could ‘completely obliterate the Taliban regime’ with just a fraction of its military capabilities. This escalation in rhetoric comes after negotiations in Istanbul failed to produce a viable solution to the ongoing conflict between the two nations. The talks, aimed at preventing further violence, ended in disagreement over the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan that Pakistan claims are targeting its security forces. Despite a ceasefire brokered in Doha on October 19, weekend clashes near the border resulted in the deaths of 30 individuals, including five Pakistani soldiers and 25 militants. Both sides have accused each other of derailing the peace process, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of deflecting from core issues and engaging in a ‘blame game.’ The Taliban, however, has yet to respond to these accusations. The situation remains tense, with fears of an ‘open war’ if a resolution is not reached.