Taliban and Kabul administration: Perspectives on Peace

M Ahmad Talha

We have seen that since the past few years, the diplomatic efforts have been stepped up to resolve Afghanistan’s long, bloody conflict and crisis. The Afghan nation found some hope of peace and independence when last year in February, a historic deal was signed between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and United States of America in Doha, the capital of Qatar and it was after long and difficult talks. According to this agreement, all foreign troops will leave Afghanistan by the mid of this year in the month of May. However, since both Islamic Emirate and the Kabul administration are openly speaking out in support of peace, with representatives of some Afghan political factions called as the team of the republic by the Kabul administration and the members of the Political office of the Islamic Emirate have started intra-Afghan dialogue, but the perspectives of both sides are different when it comes to Afghan Peace.

Almost twenty years ago, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was attacked by the occupiers, thousands of Taliban were captured, killed and forced to flee their villages and homes. The officials of the regime, the so called Kabul administration, were and are complicit in all this and were and are more sincere to this end than their masters. The Taliban fought a long and unparalleled struggle against the occupation for the country’s independence and the establishment of an Islamic system. Despite the brutality and persecution of Taliban by the Kabul administration and their allies, the perspective of the Taliban is that an inclusive and strong Islamic system should be established through negotiations after achieving independence in order to resolve the current Afghan crisis. But the Kabul administration is trying to perpetuate the occupation in order to continue the current incompetent and powerless system and does not want Afghanistan to have an independent, strong government committed to national and religious interests. That is why every day, senior officials of Kabul administration are making irresponsible and hostile statements that could undermine the ongoing intra-Afghan dialogue process in Qatar.

The perspectives of both sides on Afghan peace is evident and can be clearly understood after listening to the latest remarks by Anas Haqqani, a member of the Political office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the son of late Jihadi leader Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqqani (may Allah have mercy on him) and Hamdullah Mohib, the head of the so called National Security Council of the current Kabul administration.

Hamdullah Mohib has given his latest remarks at a time when a golden opportunity for peace has emerged. In his speech to his troops, he criticized the Taliban in a very harsh and bad tone and said very bluntly that the Taliban do not have the power to make peace and that their family members are held hostage in other countries. But he is so shameless that he isn’t saying anything about his family and family of Ashraf Ghani and other former and current senior officials of Kabul administration who live in the United States of America and other western countries. In his latest remarks, he also threatened to crush the Taliban, clearly showing hostility to peace and a lack of will for peace. But on the other hand, Anas Haqqani, who endured 5 years of torture at the hands of the Kabul administration, speaks responsibly to a literary gathering which was recently held in Paktia province of Afghanistan.

In his speech to his colleagues and media workers, he tells them to be very deliberate in their speeches and writings and to refrain from writing anything against members of the Kabul administration that could harm the ongoing peace process. If the words of Anas Haqqani and Hamdullah Mohib are compared, it becomes clear who are the real owners of the nation, who are thirsty and yearning for peace and security in Afghanistan and who feel the pain and the suffering of the Afghan nation. It clearly shows who wants peace and security and who is creating obstacles against it.