Afghanistan Times
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On and off negotiations between the Afghan government and insurgent groups are still far away from the final destinations though Afghan officials all the time urged the major players including the United States, Pakistan and Arab countries for support but neither there is a venue for the talks nor the Taliban are ready to give up ego and speed up the reconciliation process. In the past one decade the government employed all available tools, especially diplomacy, to bring the warring groups to the table of talks. No doubt that it is the best way to wrap up the militancy and bring peace and stability back to Afghanistan, but there should be same response from the opposition—the Taliban.
However, the Taliban and couple of other militant groups are still stick to their aggressive designs and wasting precious time in following those foreign players who are never serious about the Afghan peace process. The insurgent groups think that violence could make them victorious while killing innocent people and attacking Afghan troops. However, violence never gives throne to anyone but only brings destruction upon them. If these groups think that they are strong because they are supported by foreign elements, particularly regional spy agencies, and can upset the Afghan security forces then they are wrong. They are weaker than before, but they are not ready to accept this bitter truth and love to live in delusion. They have been misguided. Thus, they should recalculate their rebel movement. If they calculate results of their war with the elected government and widely support security forces then for sure they would know that they are on the wrong page and bloodshed will not make them successful.
Perhaps, it is the reason that the Taliban have confirmed coming back to the negotiations process to reconcile with the government. The major militant groups in a statement acknowledged that peace is the only option left for them while saying that they want good relations with the world, particularly neighboring countries. Hence, visit of the Taliban leaders to Beijing was part of the new soft stance shown by the group. The visit is a positive move on part of the militant group, as they are embracing the reality that the war they are engaged in could not be won. However, there is need for more efforts and flexibility. To prepare ground for the peace talks, the Taliban should show flexibility and bring changes in their policies.
