Kunduz capture

Despite Kunduz’s proximity with Tajikistan, its capture at the hands of the Taliban has a direct or indirect impact on us. That a key figure of the Northern Alliance has helped the Taliban gain control of the city, the Abdullah group seems to be collaborating with the Taliban for full control of Kabul. Will the Taliban, mostly Pakhtun, accept it? Why have the Taliban chosen Kunduz, the home ground of their rival non-Pakhtun Northern Alliance?
Ashraf Ghani has already started showing weakness by saying that the Taliban are using humans as shields. It means the Taliban may not only consolidate their hold in the north but their march towards Kabul and in the south along the border with Pakistan would pose a great challenge to us in the near future. There seems to be a likelihood of the Afghan Taliban announcing an alliance with the IS, just as the TTP’s Khalid Khurasani did some months ago. This means we will be facing an Afghanistan under Daesh. Otherwise there seems to be no common ground for the Northern Alliance to facilitate the Taliban. We have to be extra vigilant. Any fresh offer of facilitating another round of talks is likely to prove counterproductive.
Eschmall Sardar
Peshawar