Violence is once again on the rise in Afghanistan. The latest attacks show that the perpetrators of violence are hell-bent on committing even war crimes to secure their nefarious designs in Afghanistan. In the first incident, the attackers turned the funeral of a police commander in the eastern Nangarhar province into a funeral for dozens of other human beings. Before the nation could absorb that shock, the attack on a hospital in Kabul shook everyone. The gunmen spared neither newborn babies nor unarmed mothers. While Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the bombing of the funeral, the responsible ones for hospital attack are yet to come forward.

Nevertheless, Kabul has not seen any significant improvement in law and order situation even after the United States (US) signed a peace deal with the Taliban. Considering the recent spree of violence and danse macabre on the streets of Afghanistan, some experts will argue that the Afghan government has no choice but to resume fighting. This is what the President of Afghanistan also hinted at while addressing the Afghan nation. However, this approach will mean that the stakeholders are just going in circles.

What’s obvious is that the Taliban do not respect the present government. Nor has the US succeeded so far in convincing the Taliban to accept the current government as a legitimate stakeholder in the future political setup. This gap is making it easy for the likes of IS to carry out its activities with impunity. If the aim is erecting a wall against IS, the Taliban and the incumbent government must act like real partners. Pakistan, like all other nations, is standing with Afghanistan in these tough times. Islamabad not only condemns this vicious cycle of violence, but will always look to push all stakeholders to the table for a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.