The overwhelming narrative to engage with the Taliban must change, which will lead to the budding of policy options
Very few, if any, might have been surprised when the Taliban unleashed violence to take over territories in Afghanistan. What has surprised many is the pace at which the Taliban pushed their lines and replaced the Afghan state. The Doha peace deal with the United States and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s warm welcome to a Talibani delegation in Tianjin, in July, reflect the diplomatic successes of the Taliban at the international level. Almost all regional stakeholders at this point are engaging with the Taliban, openly or behind closed doors. The Special Envoy of the State of Qatar for Counterterrorism and Mediation of Conflict Resolution, Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, in June, confirmed India’s outreach to the Taliban. Now that the Afghan state has failed, the Taliban is the most powerful political entity. But the Afghan people are the most important…