“Developing an intra-Afghan understanding is a necessary step for peacebuilding in Afghanistan, but it cannot happen with Afghanistan’s neighbors pulling the various groups in different directions. U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, had a clear mandate to cut a deal with the Taliban and, to give him his due, he pursued it with vigor. The much awaited next step entails a difficult negotiation process between the jihadist group and the Afghan state. However, a regional settlement, while complicated, is absolutely required if Afghanistan is to ever fully taste security and stability. An intra-Afghan settlement will be contingent on this regional component. Pakistan will have to play a crucial role in the shaping of such a multilateral agreement.”
-NESA Professor Dr Hassan Abbas, 30 March 2020, via the Center for Global Policy
Read more here: https://cgpolicy.org/articles/pakistan-and-the-future-of-the-taliban-10-things-to-consider/
The views presented in this article are those of the speaker or author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.