Kuala Lumpur: US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he expects to resolve the escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan “very quickly,” describing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir as “great people.”

Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, President Trump referred to the latest border tensions between the two neighbouring countries. “I know them both … the Pakistan field marshal and the prime minister are great people, and I know we’re gonna get that done quickly. That one started up a few days ago,” he told reporters.

Trump said he had initially delayed his mediation efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan while managing a separate hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel. “I said, ‘I’ll have to wait till I get back. I am doing another one,” he said, adding, “Because I’m good at solving wars, I’m good at making peace.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan and Afghanistan have resumed dialogue in Istanbul to form a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb cross-border militant activities. Islamabad has cautioned that military action remains an option should talks fail to address its concerns about terrorism.

Earlier this month, heavy cross-border clashes killed dozens of soldiers, civilians, and militants, triggering a war-like situation. Temporary calm was restored on October 19 after Qatar and Turkey facilitated peace talks in Doha. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday warned of an “all-out war” with the Afghan Taliban if the latest negotiations prove unsuccessful, adding that an outcome could be known within a day.

With inputs from PTI