The world is not about to forget about the presence of IS (Islamic State) in the region simply because the militant group will not let it. Even now, as the entire modern world grapples with an unprecedented existential crisis, IS attacked a Sikh temple in Kabul, Afghanistan and killed 25 people. Yet the world only exposes its own ignorance when it expresses shock and horror over the tragedy. So long as the Afghans keep fighting among themselves, so long IS will have a vacuum to survive and thrive. And so long it will be a menace for the entire region; where it is not the hardest thing to melt between borders and carry out so called operations. The news from Afghanistan that ought to really shock everybody is that the situation there continues to be stuck in limbo. There is still not telling if or when the Taliban will finally hold discussions with the government. And to make matters yet worse, nobody has any idea when all the problems will end between President Ghani, the official winner of the disputed election, and Abdullah Abdullah, former chief executive of the country who is convinced he won the last election; so much so that he had himself sworn in as president as well. Meanwhile, the Americans are also stuck in the middle of their withdrawal. From their perspective, any further delay is unacceptable because soon it would be too late to milk anything from this situation for President Trump’s re-election. And once this window closes who knows how long it will be before everybody puts in all the effort all over again. The only people who really gain from such situations is groups like IS, who thrive on confusion and uncertainty. Nobody should forget, of course, that these are really trying times. Governments all over the world are consumed by the coronavirus threat. Nobody, then, not the least the US, should leave the Afghan peace process incomplete. For now, worryingly, the Americans seem out of tricks; or they wouldn’t have cut aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion out of sheer disappointment. All principal parties are urged to take a step back and hit the reset button; just so the negotiations can be approached with fresh ideas. The Afghans have no choice. President Ghani must overcome all differences with the Abdullah faction immediately in the interest of the people they both claim to care so much about. The government must then begin dialogue with the Taliban, and everybody must fight off IS together. *