The United States has indicated to review the landmark peace deal reached with the Afghan Taliban last year due to the rising violence in the war-ravaged country. The Biden administration said the Taliban are not living up to their commitments and security guarantees in exchange for the withdrawal of US troops and wants to review the deal.
The previous Trump administration had signed the Doha deal to end the war but the conflict is far from over. The Taliban have warned that the review should not disrupt the deal, saying it was meant to give a ‘safe passage’ and the US should adhere to its commitments. The Taliban control vast swathes of territory and have battlefield superiority and think they can dictate their terms.
It is not clear what the review would entail as the number of US troops in Afghanistan is at the lowest level but it is not expected to affect the deal which was formed after years of negotiations. The Biden administration has also told special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to continue as chief negotiator, signaling that it intends to keep the deal rather than empowering the Taliban even more.
The intra-Afghan talks have commenced in Doha but have made slow progress. The Afghan government wants to retain parliamentary democracy while the Taliban are seeking Shariah law, raising fear it could return to 1996 when the militant group overtook the country. The process has complicated by a spike in violence and brazen attacks targeting judges, media workers and human rights activists.
Pakistan said the Afghan peace process has reached an advanced phase that requires commitment by all sides, suggesting it is not favouring the review of the deal by the new US administration. Pakistan has a lot to gain from the agreements including curtailing Indian influence and wants the ongoing peace efforts to continue as it would complicate the process.
The Taliban are a political reality and cannot be ignored but the Afghan people cannot be left at the mercy of sparring stakeholders. This is an apt time to review the pact to put more pressure on the Taliban but the US certainly cannot easily escape from Afghanistan. It is still a long time before ordinary Afghan people can gain a sigh of relief for a peaceful and stable country.
