Surge in violence amid peace talks

A new wave of violence has hit Afghanistan. The sudden surge in violence, from all sides, threatens the historic opportunity that is currently available for restoration of peace to the country trapped in death and destruction for almost four decades. Earlier this month, three US soldiers were killed near Bagram Air Base outside Kabul ahead of what was going to be the first-ever interaction between the representatives of Kabul and the Taliban – in Doha on April 20 and 22. The killings were followed by fighting between Taliban fighters and Afghan forces at places in the country, claiming dozens of lives on both sides. A day after the Doha dialogue was cancelled, an attack on a ministry building in Kabul left seven people dead. And in a latest attack, nine Afghan cops were ambushed to death by the Taliban in Anardara district of Farah province. Even more troubling are the reports of the IS spreading its wings in the war-torn country.

With hostilities between the Taliban and Kabul showing no signs of abating, Pakistan has urged all parties “to recognise the importance of the moment and seize it”, besides sending out a note of caution that it “will not be party to any internal conflict in Afghanistan anymore”. Unclear though, the caution from the PM Office looks like conveying to both the Taliban and Washington that Pakistan has started running out of patience and may no longer remain aligned. If read between the lines, the PM Office has put across Pakistan’s expectations – of the Taliban to shun violence as part of its spring offensive; and of Washington to use its influence over Kabul and prevent it from going ahead with its confrontational policy.

The word of caution from Pakistan has come at a time when Washington and the Taliban are due to meet to discuss the withdrawal time frame. With the Taliban believably fatigued and Trump hell bent upon fulfilling his election pledge of withdrawal from Afghanistan before the 2020 US presidential vote, there is a strong case for the two sides to adopt a flexible stance and make the most of this opportunity.