Afghanistan today stands on the cusp of immense change. For just six months after Trump Town unveiled a new and unimproved South Asia vision — President Ghani is the one to have put on the table an offer to secure the American exit from the quagmire of its own making. Pakistan must welcome and support Kabul’s moves to formally recognise the Taliban as a political force without any preconditions for peace. Just as it must also sincerely reciprocate the call for government-to-government talks with our western neighbour. Yet the possible victory that is finally in sight represents incredible American failure. We say this not to gloat over an inept White House that chose to repeat the mistakes of previous ones; including expiry troop-surging and scapegoating Pakistan. But to ask when US and NATO forces are leaving. For bluntly put, the last forty years of meddling across our western border have been nothing more than an exercise in futility. Meaning that Washington’s attempts to defeat communism there directly gave rise to the Islamism that it says it has been doing its best to flush out over the last 17 years. We almost dread to think what is next in store for both Kabul and Islamabad. Which is why the Taliban peace package must be given a chance. Much of the western media have praised what they see as Ghani’s bold overture. And they are right to do so. For Afghanistan is exactly back where it started more than a decade-and-a-half ago when then Secretary of State Colin Powell, in the very initial days of Operation Enduring Freedom, reluctantly admitted that a post-conflict set-up would have to include a (moderate) Taliban; while graciously acknowledging that these folk cannot, you know, be ethnically cleansed. Well, then. Similarly, certain quarters of the international media have credited the Obama presidency with first focusing on the need for peace talks. This is only partially true. Not when we recall that the Taliban themselves offered to hand over Bin Laden to a third country with a view to putting him on trial. But Washington did not play ball and the rest, as they say, is uncalled-for history. In order to dispel Taliban reservations of sealing a deal with an American puppet regime — the US needs to consider pulling out as fast as is reasonably possible. For no peace can ever truly be negotiated from the barrel of multiple guns. Former COAS Gen (rtd) Raheel Shareef had assured the world that Pakistan would play a lead role in peace negotiations. And it is time to resume that process as well as reiterate this commitment. For whatever our Foreign Office says, it is the Pakistan Army that can play a vital role in facilitating constructive dialogue with the Taliban. China, Russia and other regional actors have already indicated that this is the right path for future stability. Yet the latest Taliban shuffle may throw into question International Criminal Court (ICC) deliberations on launching a full-scale war crimes investigation into the atrocities committed by all sides — including American military personnel — it is important that this process is not halted. Just as we support efforts for Pakistan to seek compensation for civilian victims of the US drone programme. We do not support rabid anti-Americanism that has been only an instrument effectively used by deep state to expand Pakistan military’s leverage. Nor is it an attempt to bolster the right wing narrative reinforced by vernacular media. It is simply about supporting the cause of justice and holding the powerful to account; and that includes the American military machine. * Published in Daily Times, March 2nd 2018.