Back from the sidelines
After it appeared it had been pushed to the sidelines of talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban, it seems Islamabad may once again have been recognised as a…
Road to reconciliation
The ongoing dialogue between the Zalmay Khalilzad-led US team and representatives of the Afghan Taliban - erstwhile rulers of Kabul, pushed into rebellion, and frequently labelled as terrorists – has…
The Taliban return
Having fought for over 17 years, the US and the Afghan Taliban are well on course to finally turning swords into ploughshares. Only a cataclysmic event can bring the current…
Saving Afghanistan – again
Take a good, long look at the euphoric welcome being afforded to the talks process between the United States and the Taliban. There can be no two ways about it.…
Now or never
A decisive moment to bring peace and end the longest war in Afghanistan has emerged. Peace efforts have been intensified and all stakeholders are actively trying to find a quick…
Beginning of the endgame
US efforts to negotiate a face-saving exit from Afghanistan do not appear to be making much headway. Just as Zalmay Khalilzad and team began a fresh round of talks with…
Ensuring Afghan peace
Pakistan has intensified its pressure on the Taliban to talk to the Afghan government. There were also (conflicting) reports that a senior Afghan Taliban leader had been arrested ahead of…
The impasse over sanctuaries
It is really unfortunate to note that both US and Afghanistan continue to blame Pakistan for providing sanctuaries to terrorists on its soil and being responsible for all acts of…
Peace from broken pieces
Last week, the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan endorsed efforts to hold direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. This is, indeed, an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.…
Peace talks
The Afghan president’s peace initiative has been criticised by different stakeholders, including Afghan political figures and some factions of the civil society. The critics have repeatedly raised concerns about the…
