Change of heart in Kabul

It is a good omen that Afghan Taliban are listening to the international community, and have realised the existential threat that they too face from non-state actors holed inside Afghanistan. The visible change of heart, wherein Kabul is now reportedly acting against the TTP and the likes, augurs well not only for the strife-torn country itself, but for the region at large. The prime beneficiary of this new policy will be Pakistan as it is a direct victim of the cross-border incursions launched from the Southwest Asian state, causing a spike in death and destruction in the restive provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

To reach this point of consensus, wherein Kabul has come out of the denial mode and is making strides against the disgruntled elements, much rubbing of shoulders had taken place. Islamabad strived restlessly to make the Taliban 2.0 leadership realise that harbouring criminals, and all those who are wielding guns, in return for their support in the yesteryears would be tantamount to a catastrophe. The law and order deterioration inside Afghanistan too was a case in point wherein these 'guests' were going over the board to serve their vested interests, pushing the fragile government in Kabul in a crisis of its own. Last but not least, the visit of Pakistan's special envoy to Kabul, followed by the deputy prime minister's high-level talks with Afghan authorities, has borne fruit and the non-state actors are now reportedly feeling the heat.

The recent tripartite dialogue involving Islamabad, Beijing and Kabul was epoch-making in not only helping the Taliban earn the international legitimacy they have been looking for, but also look at the broader picture of connectivity and congeniality. Now is the time for the Afghan Taliban to walk the talk, and come full circle in exterminating the terror nexus. Militants from foreign countries must be shown the door, and the outlawed TTP leadership brought to book for their crimes against humanity on both sides of the divide. This jiff of fresh air from Kabul necessitates graduation in all forms and manifestations.