IN a positive development, the United States has finally resumed talks with the Taliban in Qatar, three months after President Donald Trump abruptly halted diplomatic efforts that could end America’s longest war.
Given the open heartedness shown by both the sides, one expects that the process will be taken forward in the most meaningful manner and make result oriented , leading to the intra-Afghan dialogue. Both the sides will have to show greater flexibility to achieve the desired objectives and they need to pick the threads from where they were left back in September when they appeared to be on the verge of signing a deal that reportedly would have seen Washington begin withdrawing thousands of troops in return for security guarantees. The Afghan people have suffered a lot as a result of this prolonged conflict and their wounds can only be healed by providing them a peaceful and safe environment. There are some inimical forces which do not want return of peace to the war-torn country as they are using its land as a proxy against Pakistan. Hence, they will once again try to throw the spanner in the works. Their designs can only be foiled if both the US and the Taliban show the commitment to the talks. As a confidence building measure, they must announce ceasefire and end their hostility in Afghanistan. As a lot of work has already been completed, hence, it should not take much time to both the sides to strike the peace deal which in fact will prove to be a harbinger of change for Afghanistan in particular and the region in general. US President Donald Trump really deserves appreciation for understanding the ground realities of Afghanistan and preferring talks over the use of military force. The peace deal will pave the way for intra-Afghan dialogue and we are confident that the US and other regional countries including Pakistan, China and Russia will continue to use their good offices to make that process successful to achieve the ultimate aim of restoring complete peace and stability in Afghanistan.
