Daily Times

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar recently visited Kabul after the TTP announced the end of a ceasefire with the government that was formalised just months ago in June. The visit comes amid heightened security concerns near the Pak-Afghan border. Tensions were high between the two countries when Pakistan launched military air raids in Eastern Afghanistan in retaliation to an attack on a military convoy in North Waziristan.

The Taliban’s takeover of Kabul was widely celebrated by TTP leaders, who have grown even more emboldened in their approach since their allies assumed power across the border. The group’s resurgence has already become the focus of public discourse, with thousands of terrified locals protesting their return to Swat, a TTP stronghold since 2009. The TTP remains firm in its demand for a demerged Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa despite repeated opposition from the Pakistani government.

It is unclear whether security concerns were discussed at the recent meeting but there’s no question that the visit is a clear signal to the Afghan government that Pakistan is willing to meet them halfway at a time when the Taliban faces diplomatic isolation and sanctions from the rest of the world. However, this would not mean giving up on our own ideals of moderation and freedom for women.

While Pakistan has not officially recognized the Taliban government, it remains Afghanistan’s only tangible link to the outside world, a strategic ally they cannot afford to lose. Sending a female to a land known for its patriarchal notions was the strongest message Pakistan could give: If you wish us to stand in our corner, you better start chalking up a new narrative.

Similarly pertinent is Pakistan’s condemnation of Afghanistan providing a haven to TTP militants-a claim that Kabul has imprudently denied. Despite experts warning against negotiating with the Taliban over fears that it would legitimise their militancy, the government remains convinced that peace talks are the solution. The TTP has a history of dishonouring its agreements and their reemergence calls for a more resolute counterterrorism response-it is highly improbable that the cycle of violence will end through diplomacy, which has failed our people too many times before. *