Diplomacy of Endgame in Afghanistan

Byline: Rasul Bakhsh Rais - Email: rasul@lums.edu.pk There are number of developments in the region that suggest that perhaps the third long war in the thirty years cycles of war in Afghanistan is nearing an end. We don't know yet when that day of peace will arrive and on what terms, but the signs of peace and stability appear to be lot stronger than one could expect. Given the history of conflict in this country, and pattern of frustrated hope, one has to think of a peaceful end with some guarded optimism. For a moment, I would wish to lower this guard and bet on the bright side of things that are likely to happen. Let me outline some of the positive developments and explain my reasons for my hopefulness. Also, important for us in Pakistan is to carefully evaluate the options that we have and how diplomatic skills will matter in reaching a political settlement of the Afghan war in a manner that would keep that country stable, peaceful and united in which we have a primary security interest.