By TON Research Team

Apparently, the handful of combat mission of the United State of America in Afghanistan against the Taliban is finally coming to an end. After two decades of long war, the U.S. military begun its withdrawal from the country on 25 April. The peace deal signed with the Taliban in the final year of Trump’s presidency and a declaration signed with Afghanistan government to start an intra-Afghan peace talks paved way for complete withdrawal of all American forces from Afghanistan by 1 May 2021. The main objective of the deal signed in 2020 was to negotiate a political road map for a new government, reduction in violence and a lasting cease-fire in Afghanistan between Afghan leaders, government and the Taliban. The Peace talks began in September, 2020 but the progress slowed down due to violence in the country.

Although the US did not honour 1^st May deadline of troops’ withdrawal that was assured by Washington in talks with the Taliban but reports confirm that now its remaining handful personnel’s pull-out has begun. The US President Joe Biden announced that all troops will be gone by September 11. However, uncertainty still prevails in the country. There is increase in violence, Afghan government accuse the Taliban for the ongoing violence in country but neither Taliban have ever eccepted responsibility of violence or deadly attacks nor they are behind it. Albeit, many factors are at play in the ongoing violence in Afghanistan and the result of civil war that lasts from 22 years, in which rivals carry out these acts to defame Taliban. It is also noteworthy that after the signing of peace deal and from the beginning of negotiations, the attacks and violence has been increased to fail the peace talks. However, it is certain that those players who do not want the US troops’ withdrawal and the return of Taliban as mainstraem political entity in the country, are all behind these attacks. Reality can’t be buried that if the Taliban returns, they can be one of the strongest political force in Afghanistan.

The US and NATO troops’ withdrawal has led to a surge in fighting between Afghan security forces and the Taliban. Afghan security forces have also increased attacks on the Taliban. On the other side, there is increase in terrorist activities including explosions and attacks that are just targeting civilians. Nonetheless, the conflict between the government, Afghan security forces and the Taliban results in civilian casualties and it cause loss to country. According to the Interior Ministry of Afghanistan 255 civilians have been killed during the month of Ramadan (April 13 to May 12). The ministry said that 500 more civilians were wounded in the attacks during this period. On 8^th May, the explosions outside a school in the Afghan capital Kabul killed 30 people and wonded dozens other which officials figures put as 85 people killed and over 150 wounded.

Recently, amid the surge in violence and withdrawal of foreign troops, Pakistan's Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Afghanistan to meet the top leadership of Afghanistan. He carryied out one to one meeting with Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation Chairman Abdullah Abdullah and after the talks Abdullah Abdullah confirmed that General Qamar Bajwa assured him of Pakistan support for an inclusive power-sharing arrangement and elections as a right of Afghans to self-determination. General Qamar Bajwa also met President Ashraf Ghani and offered Islamabad’s support for the Afghanistan peace process, amid growing violence with US withdraws its troops. General Qamar Bajwa was accompanied by British Chief of Defence Staff General Nicholas Patrick Carter and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) head Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid.

Pakistan is beeing pressurized to play its due role in counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan, however, Pakistan has ruled out of any possibility to provide its military bases to the US for the same after the troop withdrawal. US President Biden administration has, however, acknowledged in talks with the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan to examine where it can reposition troops for operations against groups like Al-Qaida in future.

Recently, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a statement “No sir, we do not intend to allow boots on the ground and no bases are being transferred to Pakistan,”

In the past, Pakistan’s military bases played a key role in facilitating the US military invasion in Afghanistan. Pakistan was also long been blamed for protecting Taliban leaders but in the recent years the US along with Western Powers have hailed Pakistan’s effort to bring the Taliban on table with the US and Afghan government for peace process.

Pakistan has been playing a crucial role to facilitate regional and international peace efforts in Afghanistan. However, the progress in the intra-Afghan dialogue to settle the differences has been stalled so far. Where Pakistan played a key role in Afghan peace negotiations on the other side, the main ally of the US, India never backed its efforts to reach peace agreement with the Taliban and disagreed in accepting the Taliban as political actor. Since India want to make gains from the battlefield, its intelligence has long been involved in proxy war to destabilize Afghanistan along with Pakistan. Undoubtedly, India’s core objective is to undermine peace efforts in the region and to minimize Pakistan’s influence therefore, it never wants to see a stable and battle-free Afghanistan.

Undoubtedly, there are few actors who don’t want the peace process to continue and a sustainable solution to solve the Afghan issue permnently. The US has also concluded that the war could not be won militarily but in fact the US and NATO troops have, infact repositioned outside Afghanistan. The need of hour is to end the surge of violence in Afghanistan because this war is only at the cost of blood of innocent citizens as well as peace and development of Afghanistan. Afghan government and the Taliban need to sit together to hammer out their differences so that peace can prevail in the war-torn country and peace in won.