Can Afghanistan succeed in the new outreachIJ
Talks are a peaceful way to resolve conflicts. The Afghan Taliban and the Afghan democratically elected Government led by President Ashraf Ghani are banking on this hope. In recent weeks, the Afghanistan Government and the Taliban have begun crucial secret talks that may eventually lead to cessation of armed conflict in the peripatetic region. It is a positive sign that the hawkish and stubborn leadership of the Taliban has chosen to open the doors to negotiation. In any given day, the table of negotiation ought to be considered supreme than that of armed struggle. Qatar ought to be applauded for its brave stance for providing a safe haven for the warring parties to negotiate free from the pressures of their domestic constituencies.
To add strategic power to the negotiations, Pakistan has been left out. It is no secret that Pakistan as a state has been complicit in abetting terrorism for decades now. Even in the case of the Taliban, Pakistan's support to them, especially to those that function within its territory, has been detrimental to long-term development and peace in Afghanistan. Thus, there can be nothing more geopolitically overwhelming than for the warring parties to grab this opportunity and conclude the best way to come to terms with each other. One thing is clear: Terrorism cannot exist under any ideological garb, religious or secular. Sooner the Taliban realise this democratic dictum, easier will it be for them to integrate their alienated members into the mainstream Afghanistan society. As the talks are being held under the cloak of secrecy, not much can be surmised at this point on their progress.
Doha has been a centre of Taliban's diplomacy since Qatar's Government gave them the permission to run its office in 2013. The talks are the first negotiations since the killing of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in a US drone strike. According to the Quetta Shura, Taliban's leadership council, no Pakistani official has taken part in the negotiations. The first secret talks were held in September, followed by another this month. The Afghan Government has been determined to resolve civil and military conflicts, as has been shown in its resolution of conflict with Islamist warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The United States has played a catalytic role in making the negotiations possible between the two parties. The Taliban have in the past called the democratic Government in Afghanistan as a puppet regime. It is no surprise that with their chequered past and dubitable credentials, the Taliban have so far maintained a balance with the Governments, the US and Afghanistan. The Taliban think that armed conflict cannot be resolved without the participation of the US and Kabul. Pakistan has been shown its right place; the absence of its participation is a telltale sign that the troubled region can find ways to negotiate peace without Pakistani incessant mingling. All previous attempts had failed in bringing peace to Afghanistan. Perhaps for that, the Taliban ought to be dismantled. Secret negotiations are a good start.