The Foreign Office (FO) has avoided comment on the result of the Afghan presidential election, which points to uncertainty among Pakistan’s foreign policy architects; a concern shared by other countries as well. Like Pakistan, the US, Britain, Russia, Iran as well as the United Nations have yet to comment on Afghan Independent Election Commission’s announcement declaring President Ashraf Ghani the winner of the September 28 presidential election. Though Ghani secured 50.64 per cent of the votes, the rejection of the results by rival candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Gulbadin Hikmatyar has aggravated the political crisis in Kabul. Perhaps the major capitals of the world, including Islamabad, are waiting for the outcome of a likely deal between the US and Taliban, which may envisage a new power sharing formula to govern the already highly fragmentised country. As per election results, Ghani swept the poll in 16 southern and eastern provinces while Abdullah stood the winner in 18 provinces in the northern and central regions of Afghanistan. Even though this was the fourth election in the country, the democratic exercises has failed to address the deep ethnic divide governing the country. The last elections were also controversial but then the interference of the US saved the day, and an unusual power sharing deal was brokered under which Ghani was nominated as the president and Abdullah the chief executive. Though the system worked for five years, both camps never saw eye to eye on any issue. History is repeating itself as Abdullah has refused to accept the election and even threatened to grab power with force. The best bet is that the forthcoming US-Taliban deal should include both Ghani and Abdullah as stakeholders and any power sharing deal should have their say too. Taliban often reject the democratic system as against their beliefs whereas both Ghani and Abdullah represent Afghanistan’s political class. The country needs stability on all fronts. If this is not done, Afghanistan is likely to be governed by parallel governments. Abdullah’s coalition partner and warlord Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum has threatened to make their own government in northern Afghanistan. The uncertainty must end at the earliest and the US must engage all stakeholders before it starts its pullout from Afghanistan. *