Afghanistan's shifting sands.

Byline: Zahid Hussain

WAR-WEARY Afghans are getting some respite from an unending chain of violence with the ceasefire between the Afghan government forces and the Taliban insurgents thanks to Eid. Successive events have also raised hopes of the elusive intra-Afghan dialogue finally taking off.

President Ashraf Ghani's announcement that another 2,000 Taliban prisoners would be freed has removed a major hurdle in the way of direct talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban on the future political set-up in the war-ravaged country following the withdrawal of American forces.

The row over the exchange of prisoners had been a major roadblock to furthering the peace process. In the peace deal signed with the US in February, the Taliban had set the release of prisoners as a precondition for the start of talks with the Kabul government. A spokesman for the Afghan president said the decision to release the prisoners was taken 'to ensure success of the peace process'.

Meanwhile, a power-sharing agreement between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah earlier this month ended the festering political crisis that had also hindered the peace process. With the resolution of the dispute over the credibility of the presidential election that had led to the installation of two rival administrations, the Ghani government is on a firmer footing than before regarding talks with the Taliban.

A major US concern is the militant Islamic State group gaining ground in Afghanistan.

The fast-changing situation is yet another example of the shifting sands of Afghan politics. But there is still a long way to go before a political settlement of the Afghan crisis is possible. Much will depend on whether the Taliban agree to continue the ceasefire during the peace talks. Any escalation in violence could derail a nascent peace process.

It has only been the second ceasefire since the US invasion of Afghanistan. A similar three-day ceasefire was observed also during Eid festivities in 2018. The Taliban had refused President Ghani's repeated appeal for a cessation of hostilities during Ramazan that could have allowed the administration to focus on fighting the coronavirus infection that has seen a steep rise in the capital Kabul and other parts of the country.

The ongoing fighting had made it all the more difficult for the administration to deal with the public health crisis. With 80 per cent of the population living just barely above the poverty line, there...

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