A Taliban delegation is said to have met with newly appointed US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar to discuss ways and means to end the long drawn conflict in the region. According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid the meeting with Khalilzad and other US officials took place in Doha last week. The US side was led by the recently appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-born former US ambassador to Kabul, while the Taliban was represented by top officials of its political office in the Qatari capital, Taliban spokesman said. During the latest meeting, Taliban and US negotiators discussed a “peaceful end to the invasion in Afghanistan”, Mujahid said. Both sides he said “agreed to continue such meetings”. The meeting has generated a new wave of optimism regarding the resumption of a formal dialogue process between Taliban and the US to end the 17-year long conflict that over the past several decades has consumed thousands of precious lives besides pushing the region into a quagmire of uncertainty and unending violence. It is good to see that there is a growing realisation on both sides that talks were the only way to settle dispute peacefully, however, it is too early to predict a result given the see sawing policy and lack of commitment on both sides. But one thing is very clear that this never-ending war in the region is neither in the interest of America nor in the interest of people of Afghanistan who happen to be worst victims of this reckless war. It is, therefore, imperative that all sides involved in this negotiating process should demonstrate magnanimity and much needed flexibility to get engaged in a serious and result-oriented dialogue to settle the dispute peacefully. It is also important that the US administration should rethink its policy on South Asia and take a holistic approach towards dealing the situation in the region. Rather than espousing hawkish approach, the Trump administration needs to understand the fact that a sensible approach towards the region will only help facilitate regional peace and stability besides opening up new avenues of peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. The recent meeting is viewed as a window of opportunity for peace in Afghanistan. Hope the newly appointed US envoy to Afghanistan who is perceived as a pragmatic negotiator will be able to break the deadlock in dialogue in Afghanistan to put an end to this conflict. It goes without saying that a peaceful, strong and economically stable Afghanistan holds a key to peace in the region.
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