KARACHI:
The stumbling block in the Afghan peace process is the initiation of the intra-Afghan dialogue that calls for tough compromises to be made by the Taliban and Kabul. While it is true that the intra-Afghan dialogues will be arduous, tedious and inexplicably long, it is undeniable that their initiation in the first place sparks a ray of hope in the country that has been in the throes of war for four decades. As foreign and regional players continue to play chess on Afghan soil, the people in the country are facing great turmoil and misery.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted that the start of these talks has given the leaders of Afghanistan the opportunity to “seize” the historic moment of ending chaos and war in their country. US President Donald Trump in the 74th UNGA session speech reiterated the same narrative as stressed on the fact that the US is determined to bring their troops home latest by November 3. As Trump embarks towards the fulfillment of his presidential campaign promise to pitch maximum votes for his second term, voices are being heard that a hasty withdrawal without a democratic political settlement will lead history to repeat itself at the backdrop of a power vacuum. As fighting and violence continue to intensify even when talks in Doha are taking place, concerns are raised on whether peace will actually be achievable in Afghanistan in the future.
It therefore seems that the US officials are unaware that the intra-Afghan dialogue and its successful completion is not a walk in the park. Even though the crux of the dialogue rests on the agreement about a compromise on governing principles, the major obstacle is the diverging interests and opinions of the two parties that refuse to converge to a common ground.
Hadia Mukhtar
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, October 1st, 2020.
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