Peace is the ultimate need of the people of Afghanistan. The best way to reach peace is through negotiations and reconciliation. But reconciliation can take place only when all the parties involved in the conflict show their willingness towards it. For the purpose of ending the lingering war in Afghanistan, the Afghan government backed by international community has been inviting the Taliban to join the reconciliation process it launched in the beginnings of 2010.
High Peace Council (HPC), the body working to implement the peace program, was also established in the same year. But Taliban never showed readiness of any kind to negotiate with government of Afghanistan. The dream of government to bring peace to Afghanistan through reconciliation broke into pieces when the HPC chief and ex-president of Afghanistan, Burhan ud Din Rabbani was assassinated by a suicide bomber who had concealed explosive material in his turban.
As a result of assassination of Rabbani, President Hamid Karzai announced that his government would rather negotiate peace with Pakistan rather than Taliban. The political pundits have maintained since long that process of peace initiated by Karzai administration is flawed as Taliban would never negotiate under the conditions laid by it. Therefore, President Karzai's view to stop inviting Taliban for a deal was welcomed by many circles.
But yet there is another twist in the story. The HPC has said it is ready to resume talks with Taliban. This clearly indicates inconsistency in the policies of and lack of coordination within the government. It also endorses that fact the government of Afghanistan is not having any significant strategy towards reconciliation program with Taliban and all such programs are just for keeping the mentality of masses busy and wasting the time and money. Experience of the last two years has established this fact.
The Karzia administration should come up with clear strategies and high political will for bringing peace to this war torn country. It should know at least with whom it would negotiate. Also, negotiation with an enemy who lacks desire for peace is repeating a mistake that has been quite expensive to Afghans.