Dancing circles in Qatar

The Afghan Taliban have been in Qatar for a long time and there is little to show as a result of their presence. The Taliban office has been virtually dormant for the last two years but suddenly there is a flurry of activity. There have been talks between representatives of the Afghan Taliban and Kabul-backed negotiators, but their content remains a mystery — as does why they have suddenly revived. Pakistan has a close interest in these talks, which took place over two days. Speaking in Islamabad after the conclusion of the talks, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said “they have to talk” — and we agree, they do. The foreign secretary went on to say that Pakistan supported any formal or informal talks — but it is noteworthy that it was not Pakistan that brokered this fresh interchange but the Pugwash group, a Canadian outfit that for 50 years has facilitated dialogue in zones of conflict and is part of a worldwide organisation.

Why that is noteworthy is that the initiative was external rather than internal, and all sides are being careful to say that the talks should not be misconstrued as peace talks. Members of the Afghan High Peace Council were in attendance and a two-member team representing the Hizb-e-Islami was also there. It may be that this time something will come of these talks. Two previous rounds have failed, held in France and Japan, but they did not include direct talks with Afghan government officials. Given the gulf that exists between all of the interested parties — and that must include China and India if only on the sidelines — it is difficult to see where any talks will go other than in a circle. The Taliban want all foreign troops out of Afghanistan before they talk about anything, and the Afghan government has just signed an agreement keeping foreign troops in-country for years to come. Pakistan has rebooted its relationship with Afghanistan with the passing of the Karzai government, but momentum seems to have slackened in the last couple of months. Yes we welcome the talks, but only if they are something other than a polite circular dance.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2015.

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