The bewildered politics in Afghanistan is, as always, progressing with more ambiguous happenings than clear, strategic and deliberate formulation. The exhausting war, rampant corruption and domestic clashes have continued deepening disappointment over the country's future. Instead of seeking practical and consensus-based solutions for the fragile situation in the country, Afghan government officials have well learnt making false pledges of an ideal future for the Afghans who have long waited for peace, development and democracy.
President Karzai's reactive approach to the overseas-designed initiative demonstrated a clearly imprudent and nonstrategic position over Afghanistan's most critical question of the day. The lately-disclosed talks with Taliban representatives in Germany and Qatar initially faced Afghan government's serious anger. The government believed it was isolated from the entire peace process that was long supported in Kabul.
The leaked reports over President Karzai's coming visit to Saudi Arabia to meet Taliban leaders demonstrated the chaotic nature of processes launched in Afghanistan, Washington and elsewhere. Of all the parties involved in the process, Afghanistan government remains panicky.
Washington has announced its support for an Afghan-led process but practices show a contradiction. Afghan government was, to some extent, hopeful of a process to begin in Turkey or Saudi Arabia but Taliban's, as they say, non-recognition of Afghan government painted an entirely different picture.
To balance the equation, Afghan government has held talks with Hizbe Islami led by Hekmatyar and has accelerated the process at home. In addition, Afghan government's diplomatic bodies are looking for an international consensus on an Afghan-led reconciliation.
No doubt, Afghans should own and lead the process. But an incapable and confused team will never manage to overcome domestic and foreign challenges. The problem is not only a risky move by president Karzai to offer more and more advantages to pacify the terrorists, now labeled as president Karzai's upset brothers, but with government's shortsighted approach towards peace, political settlements and reconciliation.
An armed, ideologically defying group of extremists will never decrease their objectives to legal impunity and sharing power. Taliban's ideological essence has clearly demonstrated their never-ending enthusiasm to violence, unilateralism and absolutism.
Expecting them to lay down arms and embrace peace will indicate Afghan government and international community's naïve understanding of the problem. To deal with any extremist groups, stick should never be forgotten alongside the carrot.