Monday November 12, 2018
Kabul (BNA) Peace efforts have increased recently to end the ongoing war in Afghanistan. But, how can the war get ended? It is a complicated question that can be answered. The only way that end the ongoing war in Afghanistan is negotiations or talks between the warring sides.
Zalmay Khalilzad has been appointed by US Secretary of State as the country’s special envoy on Afghanistan reconciliation to end the US long war of the history in Afghanistan. In recent months, direct talks between US officials and representatives of the Taliban group have started. Both sides have held direct talks two times in Qatar. Afghan Taliban has repeatedly rejected any kind of talks with Afghanistan government and asked for direct talks with US officials. Zalmay Khalilzad as newly-appointed envoy of the US secretary of state on Afghanistan reconciliation can play constructive role in Afghan peace process as he better knows Afghanistan and has close relations with most of Afghan leaders. According to Afghan experts, Khalilzad is acquainted with the culture, policy and society of Afghanistan and has good experiences with policies of the regional countries. For maintaining peace in Afghanistan, the country needs close cooperation of its neighboring countries in particular Pakistan. Now that Khalilzad has been appointed to help maintain peace in Afghanistan, hopes have increased that he would find a way for solution of Afghanistan dispute through political settlement.
After Taliban regime was toppled by US in 2001, Zalmay Khalilzad started his key role in Afghanistan. From 2003 – 2005, Khalilzad was the US ambassador to Afghanistan. The new Afghan constitution was ratified by efforts of Khalilzad, who is known as builders of the interim government of Afghanistan after the Bonn conference. Once Khalilzad had said that the main reason of the interferences of Pakistan in Afghanistan was the Indian presence, Kunar River and sharing of the Taliban group in power. The people of Afghanistan want Zalmay Khalilzad to end the US long war in Afghanistan through peace and negotiations. But, ending the longest war of US and ongoing war in Afghanistan is possible when Pakistan stops its relations with terrorist groups in particular Taliban. To end the current deadlock in connection with peace and reconciliation and war in Afghanistan, national unity government seriously needs cooperation of the international community and regional countries.
US has declared that the country would make its efforts towards ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan; therefore, the country is supporting the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. It is worth mentioning that the people of Afghanistan are the victim of the imposed war in their country as thousands of people have lost their live during the past 17 years. Afghans want peace and wish to live in a peaceful environment like other nations of the world as they are tired of continued war and violence posed by terrorist groups being supported by Pakistan.
Lailuma Noori
