Beginning of the end

Letter March 05, 2020
Everything seemed well until a recent attack on Afghan forces by the Taliban just two days after the accord was signed

ISLAMABAD: At first, it seemed that this endless bloody war in Afghanistan would never end and the unfortunate Afghan people, especially today’s generation, would also experience conflict and violence their whole life. This was the perception of people when Trump cancelled the peace talks over a tweet. But optimism always dominates. The talks resumed and on 29th of February when the peace accord was signed between the Taliban and the US in Qatar.

This event was not just a matter of joy and happiness for Afghans but the whole region, especially the families of US soldiers on ground. These families are in a state of constant worry about their loved ones fighting a meaningless war. Everything seemed well until a recent attack on Afghan forces by the Taliban just two days after the accord was signed. This attack could serve as a spoiler to what was seen as the beginning of the end of the 20-year-old war that did not serve anyone except the US defence and weapon industrialists.

Muhammad Asim Khan

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2020.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.