COAS Kabul visit

Apparently, efforts are underway to save the peace process in Afghanistan on the global and regional levels. The unannounced visit of army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa to Kabul on Monday must be seen from this perspective. Gen Bajwa met both President Ashraf Ghani as well as Abdullah Abdullah, the second most powerful office-holder in Afghanistan.

As expected, intra-Afghan peace efforts were the focus of the discussion, with Afghan leadership highlighting “Pakistan’s constructive role in this regard”. Army Chief’s visit came after Saturday’s bloodbath targeting a school in a Kabul neighbourhood. Nearly 70 young lives — mostly schoolgirls — were wiped out as terrorists targeted the school in the Dasht-i-Barchi area, a neighbourhood populated by the Shia Hazara community.

While the Afghan president has blamed the Afghan Taliban for the latest atrocity, the militia has denied responsibility. At a time when foreign troops have begun their withdrawal from Afghanistan, and when the peace process is in a critical phase, attacks such as these send up major red flags regarding the shape of things to come.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have announced a three-day ceasefire starting Thursday for Eid festival. And the government of President Ashraf Ghani is expected to reciprocate, like in the previous year. So the violence-hit Afghan citizens are likely to pass the three days of Eid in relative peace.

Pakistan is a key player in efforts to resolve the conflict between the Western-backed government and the Taliban insurgents. On the other hand, the Pakistani military is making all-out efforts to maintain peace and stability in Afghanistan, because Peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan and the entire region.

Legitimate questions arise about whether the elected government is disinterested in the Afghanistan file, or if it is being told to stay away. Even in previous engagements, Zalmay Khalilzad and other senior foreign visitors have been more interested in meeting the military leadership.

So while the September 11 withdrawal would bring the longest US war of history to an end, it is unlikely to result in peace in war-torn Afghanistan. It is time for all Afghan stakeholders to act in the interest of the poor Afghan civilians who have been longing for peace virtually since time immemorial.