18 July 2016

News Story:: Embracing peace in Afghanistan through talks requires more time than expected

by Abdul Haleem

KABUL, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The peace talks began between Afghan government and the radical Islamic party the Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan led by Gulbudin Hekmatyar some three months ago has reportedly broken down after the later according to media reports put new conditions including the demand of foreign forces pullout from the foreign-aid depending country.

Months earlier, the government peace talks with the adamant Taliban outfit backed by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States of America, had been stalled due to Taliban refusal to sit on negotiating table with Afghan government.

Although the government's desperate efforts to bring militant groups into political mainstream and bolster the national reconciliation process have not delivered, political experts believe that convincing warring sides to settle differences through talks need more time than expected.

Taliban, Hizb-e-Islami or any other armed group fighting the government to regain power, according to Afghan political observers, has no win in war except joining peace talks and find negotiated settlement to the country's lingering crisis.

Read the full story at Xinhua