Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
There is ray of hope to finally peace be restored following painstaking negotiations, in which the Taliban group has purportedly agreed to temporarily reduce violence in Afghanistan as part of a pending peace deal with the United States to end the longest running war. Source privy to the development spoke about agreement in principle on a deal envisaging US withdrawal in return of assurance that Afghan soil will never be used against any country in the world. The reduction in violence will be lasted for one week to provide safe environment of US-Taliban peace deal. Halting attacks in major cities, avoiding suicide bombings and blocking major highways is part of violence reduction. The Afghans hope for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, lauding any sorts of efforts in bringing peace. Indeed, the Afghans, how have been suffering due to long-term war, have really pinned high hopes over fresh peace efforts to find permanent peace and security throughout their country. Afghan conflict could not be winnable military. Stakeholders must find peaceful resolution of conflict. Where there is a challenge, there is also an opportunity. The Afghan neighbors should not seek their interest in an unstable Afghanistan. No one will benefit from disorder and the Afghan masses, who as a nation, gone thought it for four decades knows it very well. We were never able to grow from disorder – we only sunk deeper into it. The more we stuck the more influence of regional and global powers enforced on us. We also failed to take advantage of our geopolitical positioning in this world, turning it into a blessing rather than a curse. But, since 2001, not only new government formed but also the Afghan masses have changed a lot. Those days are gone now. Things have changed a lot after collapse of the Taliban regime. Today we are much better comparing to some neighing countries. Freedom of expression and women rights are only two examples of it. Political and economic landscape has changed dramatically, and moving toward bitterness and improving by passing each day. Peace in our land is long overdue. People still fear when their children go to school. Afghans walking on streets of cities fear that they might be the target of terrorism. Peace for Afghans means to end the violence. For peace, there is need for ceasefire and reduction of violence. Peace talks and fighting cannot go hand by hand. Violence and terrorism have no constituency in Afghanistan; peace and tranquility do. The Taliban must agree for ceasefire as starting point for intra-Afghan talks to reach common platform of peace and stability in the war-hit country.
