US-Taliban talks

For years now, it has been obvious that the only way to bring an end to the war in Afghanistan is through a peace deal between the US and the Afghan Taliban. That, in fact, has been Pakistan’s position all along though both the US and the Afghan government have always been hesitant. Now, after 17 years of stalemate, all sides finally seem to be on the same page. Monday’s meeting between US diplomats and representatives of the Taliban in Abu Dhabi represents the most significant progress in reaching a final deal since it was the first time they met outside Doha. With both Saudi Arabia and the UAE also present, and Pakistan claiming that it facilitated the talks, it shows that any effort to end the war will be a truly international undertaking and will be guaranteed by all the stakeholders in the region.

There is, of course, still a lot of work to be done. The US wants the Taliban to announce a six-month ceasefire and join a national unity government while the Taliban have called for all their prisoners to be released and for free movement for their leaders. Neither side is ready to accept the other’s demands yet, and it may require many more months of negotiation. What is undeniably clear now is that the US has realised that sending more troops into Afghanistan was never going to shift the balance of power in the war and the only way it can save face is by reaching a peace deal and withdrawing all its troops.

For Pakistan, direct involvement in the talks has always been a priority. Even though the US and the Taliban had begun speaking to each other in Doha without Pakistan’s help, that we were present in Abu Dhabi and, as Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted, helped in arranging the dialogue, it should ensure we have a seat at the table. Any peace deal will have an impact on Pakistan too since the remnants of the TTP still operate in Afghanistan and getting them to cease launching attacks on Pakistani territory should be our priority. The US committing to a process of reconciliation could also improve ties between Pakistan and the Trump administration. It will be difficult for the US to argue that we are helping the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network when the Trump administration is talking to them and possibly releasing their prisoners. There are still significant hurdles to be crossed. The Afghan government, while supportive of the talks, has shied away from directly engaging with the Taliban. Any attack could instantly derail diplomacy. But there is finally some cause for hope after so many years of despair.