The United States has accelerated efforts to find a political solution to the decades-long war in Afghanistan. As part of the new push, the Trump-led administration appointed Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad as its special envoy for Afghan peace process. Khalilzad has embarked on a ten-day long five-nation tour to revive the Afghan peace process. In his visit to Kabul, he met with leaders of the National Unity Government and a number of leading political figures. On Tuesday, he arrived in Islamabad to discuss the Afghan reconciliation process with Pakistani officials. Khalilzad will then travel to United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, where the Taliban’s political office is based. He has promised to do all he can to bring the Afghan war to an end, and urged Afghan government and the Taliban to pick their envoys for peace parleys.
Khalilzad’s appointment and America’s fresh impetus for Afghan peace are laudable and a step forward. Although the move comes after 17 years of killing and suffering of Afghan people, it has reenergized hopes for peace in the country. As an Afghan-born deeply involved in all major events unfolded in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Khalilzad is a good pick to lead peace talks, but the Afghan peace process is extremely intricate. Given the experience, the peace steps should be taken with great caution so that the bitter experience of the past does not repeat once again.
The political efforts in the past aimed at ending the conflict had also cultivated hopes in Afghan people, but they failed due to some mistakes from which lessons should have been learnt now. From the very beginning, Khalilzad should try to avoid making the same mistakes that had led to the failure of efforts for the political settlement of the conflict. In the new peace initiative, it should be assured that the interlocutors for the Taliban are their genuine representatives, and wield a lot of influence that can convince the fighters to stop fighting in case of a peace deal. If talks are held with unauthorized individuals, or those who have no influence among the Taliban’s combat force, the new peace efforts can also end up in failure.
