Afghanistan has been mired in complexities and flames of war for many decades. Now, the latest developments, which saw the Taliban regain control of the country, including the capital city Kabul, have raised fresh questions about the nation’s future. The defeat of a superpower in Afghanistan is not a new thing, yet the United States will have much to reflect on how it has fumbled so badly in 20 years of war and misadventure.
America has failed to understand Afghanistan, and the dramatic change in Kabul is the result of flawed US policies. The drastic sweep of the Taliban across the Afghan landscape in the face of crumbling resistance from the Ashraf Ghani regime presented a unique challenge. Ghani, who had been heading the administration, secretly slipped away from the presidential palace, leaving the country in great misery and internal chaos.
The Kabul leadership and representatives were non-resident Afghans. They were not aware of the actual needs of the Afghan people and could not fight for their true rights. Now, the militia has taken over the capital, raising significant concerns for the future in regard to the conduct of statecraft.
With the changing socio-political dynamics, Pakistan has made it clear that it will never intervene in the internal matters and government system in Afghanistan. The nation has always played a pivotal role in bringing countries together and believes that there can be no military solution to any complex problem. Given the situation, it is imperative that countries in the region must join hands and formulate a holistic framework that can bring peace and stability and foster inclusive economic development in Afghanistan.How will the Taliban ensure peace and stability for the Afghan people, and what will be the form of government? These are some of the questions running through the minds of observers. It has been reported that a senior Taliban leader, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is in the Afghan capital negotiating with Kabul’s political leadership, including former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who once headed the country’s negotiating council.
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Recently, a National Security Committee meeting was convened in Pakistan to discuss the emerging Afghanistan situation and the policies of Pakistan. The NSC took a clear stance that all parties in Afghanistan must respect the law and protect the human rights of all Afghans. The meeting reiterated Pakistan's commitment to an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.
The Kabul leadership and representatives were non-resident Afghans. They were not aware of the actual needs of the Afghan people and could not fight for their true rights. Now, the militia has taken over the capital, raising significant concerns for the future in regard to the conduct of statecraft
Pakistan has been a victim of the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan. Therefore, it aspires to create peace and stability in the region while bringing all stakeholders together.
Afghanistan, a land of breathtaking beauty, torn by ethnic, tribal and religious divisions, has been at the center of geopolitical contests for centuries. It has been anticipated that the Taliban takeover is no guarantee that peace would result. As a matter of fact, this could signal the advent of a fresh wave of hostilities and radicalization. As water retains no constant shape, so is the situation in warfare — there are no permanent conditions. Due to the internal chaos in Afghanistan, one cannot predict any permanent circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s assurances that people’s lives and property would be safeguarded and that women’s rights will be respected can be considered diplomatic a tool to show a positive face to the international community and the Afghan people. One can only assess the credibility of those statements after seeing how the militant group actually conducts itself on the ground in the days to come.
There is no doubt that the Taliban have evolved, and are now more educated and understand international politics better, compared to their earlier avatar. Nevertheless, they have to come up as a political party to gain legitimacy.
The situation in Afghanistan is changing with each passing day. The international community will not allow any terrorist group to operate from the Afghan territory against any other country. Operating under the auspice of international law will be the only way that a new Afghan regime can hope to win recognition from the world.
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The Afghan people have suffered for decades amid brutal conflicts. Now, it is time that people’s interests are put first, and let the public decide their own future and fate.
Right now, all neighboring countries of Afghanistan, including the Central Asian Republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), Iran, China, Russia, Turkey and Pakistan, must formulate a consolidated framework to discuss future discourse and maintain regional peace. The time for musing is over.
Regional powers need to make some decisions in relation to Afghanistan and stand firm by those decisions. All regional countries must send a strong message to the Taliban that there will be consequences if Afghanistan is again allowed to become a safe haven for transnational terrorists. After all, one should not forget that jihadist groups Al Qaeda and Islamic State still have a significant foothold in Afghanistan.
Russia, China and Central Asian countries have shown interest in holding meetings and negotiations with the Taliban leaders. After the negotiations, the regional stakeholders will likely devise future strategies. Moreover, the role of multilateral regional organizations will be instrumental in bringing peace and catering to the requirements of Afghan people. In this aspect, the Shanghai Cooperation organization, or SCO, can play a constructive role in integrating all parties.
The SCO is a great model of extensive partnership and regionalism. Regional integration via SCO would pave the way for supranational regulatory systems and a flexible model of future alignments. The SCO currently comprises eight member countries (China, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and India), four observer countries interested in acceding to full membership (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia), and six dialogue partners (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Armenia).
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The most substantial contours of SCO are harmonizing national interest based on negotiations, political coordination, mutually acceptable solutions to the problems, enhancing people-to-people contacts, promoting inclusive economic development and solid steps for collective activities.
SCO has a comparative advantage that entails in its broad mandate. The organization is in a position to address security, economic and human development agendas of Afghanistan simultaneously, combining support for political stability, implementation of large-scale economic projects and assistance for social capital building.
In this aspect, SCO also provides an integrated platform to all the member countries and periphery nations of Afghanistan for negotiations and settlement. The organization can play a constructive role in offering mediation and providing its platform to the Taliban and the US to discuss or reach an agreement.
Promoting peace and stability and engaging Afghanistan in major railway and energy infrastructure projects is indispensable for strengthening regional connectivity between Central and South Asia and in the SCO space.
Therefore, these significant agenda points must be included in the upcoming SCO summit in September, when meetings will be held between head of states, ministries and official delegations. If the organization manages to succeed in the mission, it would be the best possible illustration of the changing nature of international relations.
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The author is executive director of the Center for Global & Strategic Studies, a think tank based in Islamabad, Pakistan. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.