ACCORDING to US State Department, special envoy to Afghanistan is on a mission to press Taliban negotiators in Doha and officials in India and Pakistan to support a reduction in violence, acceleration of intra-Afghan peace talks and cooperation on handling the Coronavirus pandemic. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad’s trip comes amid concerns that surging Taliban attacks and the Coronavirus pandemic could deal potentially fatal blows to his stalled efforts to end decades of strife in Afghanistan.
It is the second trip he has made since 12 April in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic to salvage a 29 February accord that he and the Taliban’s second in command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, signed for a phased withdrawal of US troops from the US’s longest war. Under the agreement with the Taliban, the United States has started withdrawing troops from Afghanistan as part of President Donald Trump’s bid to end America’s longest war. The Taliban promised not to strike forces from the US-led coalition – but made no such pledges toward Afghan troops. Khalilzad is visiting Qatar for talks with Taliban representatives at Doha and officials of Pakistan and India in Islamabad and New Delhi but he ought to focus more on Kabul, which threw the first spanner in the works by refusing to release Taliban prisoners despite its apparent approval to the US-Taliban accord that contained a provision about prisoners’ swap.
Infighting between Afghan President and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah is also polluting the environment for smooth implementation of the agreement and initiation of intra-Afghan dialogue, which is the most crucial part of the entire peace process. No doubt, complete ceasefire in Afghanistan would also help promote this objective and Taliban should cooperate but Washington ought not to pressurize Taliban on this account if the point was not made part of the accord. There is possibility that attacks would recede if Kabul sincerely implements provisions of the agreement. There should be focus on substantive talks aimed at creation of consensus on future political set up in Afghanistan and once an understanding is developed there would automatically be an effective ceasefire.
