For the first time, the Afghan government has publically named Pakistan-based anti-India terror groups supporting the Taliban amid the ongoing escalation of violence in the country.&nbsp;

Afghan foreign minister Haneef Atmar on Tuesday briefed foreign envoys based in Kabul on the situation in the country and how actions by the Taliban have led to the killing of more than 3000 people and displacing more than 300,000.

The readout from the Afghan foreign ministry after the meeting said, "Minister Atmar noted that the Taliban attacks were carried out in direct collusion with more than 10,000 regional terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ansarullah, Jundallah, Al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)."

He pointed out the recent "massacre of more than 100 people in Spin Boldak, forced marriages, destruction of more than 300 public infrastructures, and suspension of services in Taliban-controlled areas."&nbsp;

&nbsp;The Taliban have mounted a massive offensive against the Afghan government, especially in Herat, Kandahar and Helmand.

While talking about the presence of foreign fighters along with the Taliban in the country, Atmar pointed out that due to the "Taliban's widespread crimes and human rights violations," currently 18 million people face a dire humanitarian situation in the country.&nbsp;

Along with envoys from other countries, the Indian Envoy to Kabul, Rudrendra Tandon, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, were also present.

WION has recently broken a story about how the Afghan government has informed the Indian side that the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba is shifting bases inside the country.

In the meeting, Foreign Minister Atmar highlighted the "Afghan government's security plans and regional and global diplomacy" and said, "The Afghan government's security plan will be charted out and implemented soon in coordination and support of all political and social strata to strengthen the government's positions in strategic points and metropolitan areas.".

According to Foreign Minister Atmar, Kabul needs 4 areas of cooperation from the international community, which are, "(1): Repelling the Taliban’s attacks on metropolitan areas, (2) Preventing a human catastrophe and human rights abuses, (3) Accelerating the Afghan Peace Process, and (4) Implementing a six-month security program."

For the first time, the Afghan government has publically named Pakistan-based anti-India terror groups supporting the Taliban amid the ongoing escalation of violence in the country.

For the first time, the Afghan government has publically named Pakistan-based anti-India terror groups supporting the Taliban amid the ongoing escalation of violence in the country. Afghan foreign minister Haneef Atmar on Tuesday briefed foreign envoys based in Kabul on the situation in the country and how actions by the Taliban have led to the killing of more than 3000 people and displacing more than 300,000. The readout from the Afghan foreign ministry after the meeting said, "Minister Atmar noted that the Taliban attacks were carried out in direct collusion with more than 10,000 regional terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ansarullah, Jundallah, Al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)." He pointed out the recent "massacre of more than 100 people in Spin Boldak, forced marriages, destruction of more than 300 public infrastructures, and suspension of services in Taliban-controlled areas." The Taliban have mounted a massive offensive against the Afghan government, especially in Herat, Kandahar and Helmand. While talking about the presence of foreign fighters along with the Taliban in the country, Atmar pointed out that due to the "Taliban's widespread crimes and human rights violations," currently 18 million people face a dire humanitarian situation in the country. Along with envoys from other countries, the Indian Envoy to Kabul, Rudrendra Tandon, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, were also present. WION has recently broken a story about how the Afghan government has informed the Indian side that the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba is shifting bases inside the country. In the meeting, Foreign Minister Atmar highlighted the "Afghan government's security plans and regional and global diplomacy" and said, "The Afghan government's security plan will be charted out and implemented soon in coordination and support of all political and social strata to strengthen the government's positions in strategic points and metropolitan areas.". According to Foreign Minister Atmar, Kabul needs 4 areas of cooperation from the international community, which are, "(1): Repelling the Taliban’s attacks on metropolitan areas, (2) Preventing a human catastrophe and human rights abuses, (3) Accelerating the Afghan Peace Process, and (4) Implementing a six-month security program."

Taliban attacks in collusion with Pakistan-based LeT & other terror organisations: Afghan government

Afghan authorities are opening prison doors for thousands of Taliban inmates in a high-risk gambit to ensure the insurgent group begins peace talks with Kabul.

Security concerns are mounting as several of the newly liberated fighters say they are ready to resume their holy war.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-taliban-struggles-to-control-coronavirus-spread-despite-earlier-boast-303204">Afghanistan: Taliban struggles to control coronavirus spread despite earlier boast</a>

"If the Americans do not pull out, we will continue our jihad, because they have killed many Afghans in their operations," said Mohamed Daud, who was freed from Bagram jail north of Kabul last month.

"We do not want foreign forces in our country anymore," he told AFP, dressed in a traditional shalwar kameez, before taking a taxi back to his village with a cash handout from authorities worth $65.

US forces arrested Daud, 28, in the northwest province of Faryab nine years ago.

Afghan authorities accelerated the planned release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, including Daud, as a "goodwill gesture" after the insurgents called a three-day ceasefire to mark the Eid holiday.

A security official said those flagged by the Taliban for release include aspiring suicide bombers, suicide vest makers, kidnappers and even foreign fighters.

The move is part of a larger prisoner swap agreed as a precursor to the start of peace talks.

Before their release, inmates were required to sign a pledge that they would not pick up arms again. It is increasingly clear such commitments mean little.

A Taliban commander in Pakistan told AFP there should be "no ambiguity" that the released men will eventually be deployed to Afghanistan's front lines.

"It's an ongoing jihad, and will continue until and unless we reach some sort of agreement with the Kabul government," he said.

A Taliban spokesman who represents insurgent fighting forces did not respond to a request for comment, but the group's political spokesman Suhail Shaheen rejected claims prisoners would rejoin the fight, saying the Taliban had enough "active and reserve forces".

"We do not need any manpower in the battlefield, because we are entering the intra-Afghan negotiations," Shaheen told AFP.

Win-win situation?&nbsp;

Several freed insurgents say they remain angry at US troops, but under a US-Taliban deal signed in February, the insurgents committed to stop attacking American and foreign forces as they withdraw from the country by next year.

The immediate enemy is instead the struggling Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), with whom no such pledge has been made.

A key concession Washington extracted from the Taliban during negotiations was the requirement to begin peace talks with Kabul.

In return, the Afghan government must release 5,000 insurgent inmates while the Taliban pledged to free 1,000 security force prisoners.

Since the swap started, Afghan authorities have freed 3,000 Taliban inmates while the insurgents have released more than 750 government prisoners, officials said.

It could represent a boost of up to 10 percent for the Taliban, with estimates on the number of insurgents ranging between 50,000 and 100,000.

Afghan security officials said the US did not consult them before Washington and the Taliban finalised the prisoner swap.

More than the fighters, "those that worry us are the brains", a senior security official said, adding that one of the freed Taliban inmates had already joined the insurgents' military squad while another had committed a murder.

The Taliban heralded the US deal as proof they had defeated America in its longest war, and the bluster has only grown in recent months.

"Politics and negotiations should not be taken to mean that we will neglect jihadi affairs and the strengthening and development of our jihadi military force," Taliban deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani said in a recent broadcast.

The Taliban now find themselves in a win-win situation -- even if peace talks with Kabul fail.

With its key donor calling the shots, the Afghan government had no choice but to yield to Washington's demand to proceed with the exchange.

Still, some observers hold out hope for successful peace talks that would bring an end to Afghanistan's 19-year-old war.

"These talks hold a better hope for a lasting ceasefire than any other current approach," said Andrew Watkins, an analyst with International Crisis Group.

"Swift initiation of talks is the best way to eliminate that threat."

No start date has been set for the talks.

Afghan authorities are opening prison doors for thousands of Taliban inmates in a high-risk gambit to ensure the insurgent group begins peace talks with Kabul. Security concerns are mounting as several of the newly liberated fighters say they are ready to resume their holy war.

Afghan authorities are opening prison doors for thousands of Taliban inmates in a high-risk gambit to ensure the insurgent group begins peace talks with Kabul. Security concerns are mounting as several of the newly liberated fighters say they are ready to resume their holy war. Also read | Afghanistan: Taliban struggles to control coronavirus spread despite earlier boast "If the Americans do not pull out, we will continue our jihad, because they have killed many Afghans in their operations," said Mohamed Daud, who was freed from Bagram jail north of Kabul last month. "We do not want foreign forces in our country anymore," he told AFP, dressed in a traditional shalwar kameez, before taking a taxi back to his village with a cash handout from authorities worth $65. US forces arrested Daud, 28, in the northwest province of Faryab nine years ago. Afghan authorities accelerated the planned release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, including Daud, as a "goodwill gesture" after the insurgents called a three-day ceasefire to mark the Eid holiday. A security official said those flagged by the Taliban for release include aspiring suicide bombers, suicide vest makers, kidnappers and even foreign fighters. The move is part of a larger prisoner swap agreed as a precursor to the start of peace talks. Before their release, inmates were required to sign a pledge that they would not pick up arms again. It is increasingly clear such commitments mean little. A Taliban commander in Pakistan told AFP there should be "no ambiguity" that the released men will eventually be deployed to Afghanistan's front lines. "It's an ongoing jihad, and will continue until and unless we reach some sort of agreement with the Kabul government," he said. A Taliban spokesman who represents insurgent fighting forces did not respond to a request for comment, but the group's political spokesman Suhail Shaheen rejected claims prisoners would rejoin the fight, saying the Taliban had enough "active and reserve forces". "We do not need any manpower in the battlefield, because we are entering the intra-Afghan negotiations," Shaheen told AFP. Win-win situation? Several freed insurgents say they remain angry at US troops, but under a US-Taliban deal signed in February, the insurgents committed to stop attacking American and foreign forces as they withdraw from the country by next year. The immediate enemy is instead the struggling Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), with whom no such pledge has been made. A key concession Washington extracted from the Taliban during negotiations was the requirement to begin peace talks with Kabul. In return, the Afghan government must release 5,000 insurgent inmates while the Taliban pledged to free 1,000 security force prisoners. Since the swap started, Afghan authorities have freed 3,000 Taliban inmates while the insurgents have released more than 750 government prisoners, officials said. It could represent a boost of up to 10 percent for the Taliban, with estimates on the number of insurgents ranging between 50,000 and 100,000. Afghan security officials said the US did not consult them before Washington and the Taliban finalised the prisoner swap. More than the fighters, "those that worry us are the brains", a senior security official said, adding that one of the freed Taliban inmates had already joined the insurgents' military squad while another had committed a murder. The Taliban heralded the US deal as proof they had defeated America in its longest war, and the bluster has only grown in recent months. "Politics and negotiations should not be taken to mean that we will neglect jihadi affairs and the strengthening and development of our jihadi military force," Taliban deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani said in a recent broadcast. The Taliban now find themselves in a win-win situation -- even if peace talks with Kabul fail. With its key donor calling the shots, the Afghan government had no choice but to yield to Washington's demand to proceed with the exchange. Still, some observers hold out hope for successful peace talks that would bring an end to Afghanistan's 19-year-old war. "These talks hold a better hope for a lasting ceasefire than any other current approach," said Andrew Watkins, an analyst with International Crisis Group. "Swift initiation of talks is the best way to eliminate that threat." No start date has been set for the talks.

Afghanistan: Freed Taliban prisoners seek return to battlefield

Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians, including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war undiminished by peace talks.

Government forces, have been facing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-taliban-us-violence-for-upper-hand-in-afghan-deal-237189">Taliban</a> attacks across much of the country, and have responded with airstrikes aimed at killing insurgent leaders, even as US and Afghan representatives have been negotiating with the militants in Qatar.

The seven civilians, including women and children, were killed in Logar province, just south of Kabul, on Sunday night said Hasib Stanekzai, a member of Logar's provincial council. Six people were wounded, he said.

Provincial police confirmed the attack on militants by government forces but said they were investigating the casualties.

"According to our initial information a number of militants were killed or wounded, but local people gathered in the area, claiming that a house belonging to a Kuchi family had been bombed, causing civilian casualties," said Shahpor Ahmadzai, a spokesman for Logar police.

Kuchi is nomadic herders, but some now live in permanent settlements.

Ahmadzai, who said police were investigating, also said foreign force was involved in the attack on the militants. Officials with Afghanistan's NATO force were not immediately available to confirm or deny their involvement in the operation.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-has-no-military-solution-says-pakistan-prime-minister-imran-khan-in-us-diaspora-address-237567&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjKiM2hvsjjAhUIPo8KHbTxBNIQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw13XcLzzXPbUvinqsOphqlU">Afghan forces</a>, backed by US advisers, have in recent months stepped up their airstrikes and raids to the highest levels since 2014.

The latest phase of Afghanistan's war - which began when US-backed forces overthrew the Taliban following September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States - has intensified despite the most sustained peace talks of the war.

The United Nations has repeatedly expressed concern about civilian casualties, which reached their highest level last year since detailed accounting began nearly a decade ago.

The war claimed 3,804 civilian lives in 2018, that included 927 children, both figures all-time highs, representing an 11% increase in civilian deaths compared with 2017, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in February.

Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians, including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war undiminished by peace talks.

Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians, including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war undiminished by peace talks. Government forces, have been facing Taliban attacks across much of the country, and have responded with airstrikes aimed at killing insurgent leaders, even as US and Afghan representatives have been negotiating with the militants in Qatar. The seven civilians, including women and children, were killed in Logar province, just south of Kabul, on Sunday night said Hasib Stanekzai, a member of Logar's provincial council. Six people were wounded, he said. Provincial police confirmed the attack on militants by government forces but said they were investigating the casualties. "According to our initial information a number of militants were killed or wounded, but local people gathered in the area, claiming that a house belonging to a Kuchi family had been bombed, causing civilian casualties," said Shahpor Ahmadzai, a spokesman for Logar police. Kuchi is nomadic herders, but some now live in permanent settlements. Ahmadzai, who said police were investigating, also said foreign force was involved in the attack on the militants. Officials with Afghanistan's NATO force were not immediately available to confirm or deny their involvement in the operation. Afghan forces, backed by US advisers, have in recent months stepped up their airstrikes and raids to the highest levels since 2014. The latest phase of Afghanistan's war - which began when US-backed forces overthrew the Taliban following September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States - has intensified despite the most sustained peace talks of the war. The United Nations has repeatedly expressed concern about civilian casualties, which reached their highest level last year since detailed accounting began nearly a decade ago. The war claimed 3,804 civilian lives in 2018, that included 927 children, both figures all-time highs, representing an 11% increase in civilian deaths compared with 2017, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in February.

Afghan forces kill seven civilians in attack on militants

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Afghanistan as the pawns to the devastating international and regional power games has been caught in uninterrupted civil and proxy wars since 1978. With the collapse of the Taliban regime and the establishment of a new political system in 2001, a mood of optimism and expectations for a better future swept the country. But, with the re-rise of the Taliban as an insurgent group in 2005 and the triple transitions (security, political and economic) unfolded in the country in 2014, the situation once again turned dreadful. Heightened insurgency, increased crime rates and the destructive activities of the terrorist groups ravaged every nook and corner of the country. Alongside, the economic turmoil, brain drain and emigration become the major social dilemmas affecting the everyday life of the citizens.&nbsp;

Over the last decade, the international community’s agendas of ending the conflict in Afghanistan have been focused on either rigorous military campaigns or abortive peace negotiations. Unfortunately, the fact that the conflict in the country is more of an economic phenomenon has been mostly degraded in the national and international agendas of conflict resolution in Afghanistan. The cost of war on terror as well as the cost of seeking peace and negotiated settlement with the Taliban through various mechanisms e.g., the high peace council, numerous peace processes in different countries and the substantial tribute payments to the terrorist networks and tribal chieftains through various formal and informal channels have been massive over the past years. On an average every year, 60 per cent of the national budget of Afghanistan and a significant portion of the off-budget funds and the foreign aid have been channelled to defence and security sectors and peacemaking projects. With rare resources, remaining for developmental programmes.&nbsp;

Similarly, According to a recent report by Pentagon, out of an estimated $45 billion cost of Afghanistan war for the US in 2018, just 1.7 per cent is the economic aid the rest all have been spent on bullets and probably gifts to local and external peace brokers. In this way, over the past 17 years, the situation in Afghanistan has turned worst, and the Afghan war has become a nightmare for the US and international allies. &nbsp;Did the international community and the government of Afghanistan degrade the more significant remedy (i.e., better economic opportunities) as a viable path for conflict resolution in Afghanistan? Yes, they did. &nbsp;

A moment of deliberation on nature and the dynamics of the ongoing war in Afghanistan would indicate that among the many factors that fuel the conflict and political instability in the country, one decisive factor is the socioeconomic crisis, particularity massive unemployment, poverty, and adult illiteracy. Based on the recent household survey data of the central statistic organisation of Afghanistan, more than half the population of the country, i.e., 54.5 per cent are living below the poverty line and 24 per cent of the active labour force is unemployed. In addition, inequitable distribution of wealth, income and rent is also remarkably high. &nbsp;

While, it is acknowledgeable that there is a hard-core ideology (at the leadership level) that the terrorist movements like the Taliban, ISIL-KP, and other such groups, carry. But at the grass root levels, a large number of people fighting for the Taliban and other insurgent groups are the non-ideological – employed soldiers, who do not fight for the cause of an ideology or the international Jihad propaganda as such but for mere a subsistence livelihood, in a situation where no alternative is available for them. Further, due to an overall chaotic situation in the country, there is a considerable gap between legal and illegal earning opportunities, which have enormously boosted incentives for the later. On a nutshell, the political economy of group access to resources (mines, minerals, and opium trade) at the top levels and the socio-economic ills like poverty, adult illiteracy, and unemployment at micro levels are the significant contributing factors to the perpetuating conflict in Afghanistan. &nbsp;

Indeed, the government of Afghanistan and the international community have failed to tackle the root causes of conflict; increasing poverty, alarming levels of unemployment, widespread corruption and the weak rule of law in the country. The provision of better opportunities for sustainable employment and income, which could have essentially encouraged hundreds of thousands of people to put down their guns and procure their livelihoods through dignified jobs, has not only not been in equal footing with other remedies (war and peace negotiations) part of national and international agendas. But such opportunities have enormously been reducing over the last years. The dearth of legal and sustainable sources of income and employment has compelled thousands to either personally take-up illegal activities; drug producing and trafficking, abductions, assassinations, robbery, illegal mining and various other forms of crimes or be easily recruited by the organised terror networks to carry destructive activities. &nbsp;

Due to the very problem of insecurity, on the other hand, the private and foreign investments, which are the primary sources of jobs in many countries, are insignificant in Afghanistan. The loss of the confidence of the investors and producer, the flight of the capital and brain drain have been growing over the past years, more so since 2014. Peace negotiations with few tourists’ leaders here and there and the counterterrorism strategies cannot go successful in Afghanistan unless the remedy is sought in grass root levels. When a large number of the population is impoverished and deprived of a dignified source of living, they can easily fall prey in the hands of terror groups other than the current ones, anytime in the future. Therefore, the provision of sustainable sources of jobs and income need to be seriously taken into considerations for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. One such feasible means at the moment is the public investment in the establishment of small and medium scale labour-intensive factories and the reactivation of the country’s state-owned enterprises. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Public sector enterprises have a long history in Afghanistan. For the first time, during the second term reign of Amir Sher Ali (1868-79) few factories were established in Kabul. The decades of planning (1953-1973) were comparatively a period of significant industrialisation, infrastructure building, and economic progress in Afghanistan. A wide variety of firms from cotton mills to large-scale public transportation enterprises, construction firms, electricity-generating factories, arms-producing factories, public utilities, agricultural cooperatives, and insurance firms, were built. These enterprises at times could provide up to 60 per cent of the revenues of the governments, and their products could to a reasonable extent fulfill the demands of the government institutions and the domestic markets (MoF, Afg).&nbsp;

The government of Afghanistan had fully owned 64 fully or semi-operational public sector enterprises, locally known as Tasady in 2004 (MoF, Afg). Though not in good shape and full operation, still few SOEs have a significant market share in their relevant sectors, like the electrical utility company (Sherkat-e-Breshna), Afghan Telecom, and the Ariana Airlines, etc. However, on the one side, most of these enterprises were damaged during the wars of the 90s and on the other side, with the adaptation of Afghanistan to the neoliberal economic ideology these enterprises were impelled to privatization and dissolution. Since 2005 when the privatisation plan was approved, some 26 of the SOEs were either privatized, changed to public companies or dissolved (MoF, Af).&nbsp;

In the absence of a progressing private sector, the government is obliged to play the role of the entrepreneur in the economy. At the moment, to prevent a larger humanitarian crisis caused by war, drought, and economic turmoil, the government of Afghanistan needs to undertake a robust social security system. Under the current critical situation, the state-owned enterprises could be the best policy instruments in the hands of the government to fight unemployment, inflation, and poverty in the country. If the half-remained Skeleton of the SOEs in Afghanistan are rescued from the looting under the labels of privatisation and if enough investments are made for their re-operationalization and capacity expansion, they would, directly and indirectly, provide a sustainable source of living for a significant portion of workers, who are otherwise easy preys in the hands of the terrorist groups. &nbsp;

Currently, along with the US and Russia, almost every country in the region from Pakistan to Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and recently Turkey are trying to have their share of play in the ongoing peace negotiations with the Taliban, often by circumventing the people and government of Afghanistan; scattered initiatives that can only make the peace process more complex and challenging. 
 
However, few of these countries have something tangible to offer for the betterment of the situation in Afghanistan, rather than the pursuance of their strategic interests. It should not go unacknowledged that few countries like India on the other hand, have been the most reliable partners to the development of Afghanistan over the past years. They can continue to win people’s hearts and minds through their soft policies of developmental interventions. Such assistance as infrastructural development and job creation for the ordinary people can best lead Afghanistan towards lasting peace and stability by boosting the capabilities of the people and eternally stimulating the grassroots’ voices for peace and cooperation with the government. &nbsp;

As India has a long history of running public sector enterprises, the government of Afghanistan can seek technical assistance from India and other such countries for the re-operationalisation of its SOEs and establishment of additional labour-intensive processing and manufacturing units in Afghanistan. The need for the robust participation of the government and the assistance of the international community for countering economic downturn, unemployment and poverty are inevitable for the resolution of the uninterrupted 50 years of conflict and the establishment of lasting peace in Afghanistan. At the end of the day, it would be more of sustainable jobs and income, not bullets and complicated peace rounds that will persuade a large number of people to stand alongside the democratically elected government of Afghanistan against the terrorist oppositions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

Afghanistan as the pawns to the devastating international and regional power games has been caught in uninterrupted civil and proxy wars since 1978. With the collapse of the Taliban regime and the establishment of a new political system in 2001, a mood of optimism and expectations for a better future swept the country.

Afghanistan as the pawns to the devastating international and regional power games has been caught in uninterrupted civil and proxy wars since 1978. With the collapse of the Taliban regime and the establishment of a new political system in 2001, a mood of optimism and expectations for a better future swept the country. But, with the re-rise of the Taliban as an insurgent group in 2005 and the triple transitions (security, political and economic) unfolded in the country in 2014, the situation once again turned dreadful. Heightened insurgency, increased crime rates and the destructive activities of the terrorist groups ravaged every nook and corner of the country. Alongside, the economic turmoil, brain drain and emigration become the major social dilemmas affecting the everyday life of the citizens. Over the last decade, the international community’s agendas of ending the conflict in Afghanistan have been focused on either rigorous military campaigns or abortive peace negotiations. Unfortunately, the fact that the conflict in the country is more of an economic phenomenon has been mostly degraded in the national and international agendas of conflict resolution in Afghanistan. The cost of war on terror as well as the cost of seeking peace and negotiated settlement with the Taliban through various mechanisms e.g., the high peace council, numerous peace processes in different countries and the substantial tribute payments to the terrorist networks and tribal chieftains through various formal and informal channels have been massive over the past years. On an average every year, 60 per cent of the national budget of Afghanistan and a significant portion of the off-budget funds and the foreign aid have been channelled to defence and security sectors and peacemaking projects. With rare resources, remaining for developmental programmes. Similarly, According to a recent report by Pentagon, out of an estimated $45 billion cost of Afghanistan war for the US in 2018, just 1.7 per cent is the economic aid the rest all have been spent on bullets and probably gifts to local and external peace brokers. In this way, over the past 17 years, the situation in Afghanistan has turned worst, and the Afghan war has become a nightmare for the US and international allies. Did the international community and the government of Afghanistan degrade the more significant remedy (i.e., better economic opportunities) as a viable path for conflict resolution in Afghanistan? Yes, they did. A moment of deliberation on nature and the dynamics of the ongoing war in Afghanistan would indicate that among the many factors that fuel the conflict and political instability in the country, one decisive factor is the socioeconomic crisis, particularity massive unemployment, poverty, and adult illiteracy. Based on the recent household survey data of the central statistic organisation of Afghanistan, more than half the population of the country, i.e., 54.5 per cent are living below the poverty line and 24 per cent of the active labour force is unemployed. In addition, inequitable distribution of wealth, income and rent is also remarkably high. While, it is acknowledgeable that there is a hard-core ideology (at the leadership level) that the terrorist movements like the Taliban, ISIL-KP, and other such groups, carry. But at the grass root levels, a large number of people fighting for the Taliban and other insurgent groups are the non-ideological – employed soldiers, who do not fight for the cause of an ideology or the international Jihad propaganda as such but for mere a subsistence livelihood, in a situation where no alternative is available for them. Further, due to an overall chaotic situation in the country, there is a considerable gap between legal and illegal earning opportunities, which have enormously boosted incentives for the later. On a nutshell, the political economy of group access to resources (mines, minerals, and opium trade) at the top levels and the socio-economic ills like poverty, adult illiteracy, and unemployment at micro levels are the significant contributing factors to the perpetuating conflict in Afghanistan. Indeed, the government of Afghanistan and the international community have failed to tackle the root causes of conflict; increasing poverty, alarming levels of unemployment, widespread corruption and the weak rule of law in the country. The provision of better opportunities for sustainable employment and income, which could have essentially encouraged hundreds of thousands of people to put down their guns and procure their livelihoods through dignified jobs, has not only not been in equal footing with other remedies (war and peace negotiations) part of national and international agendas. But such opportunities have enormously been reducing over the last years. The dearth of legal and sustainable sources of income and employment has compelled thousands to either personally take-up illegal activities; drug producing and trafficking, abductions, assassinations, robbery, illegal mining and various other forms of crimes or be easily recruited by the organised terror networks to carry destructive activities. Due to the very problem of insecurity, on the other hand, the private and foreign investments, which are the primary sources of jobs in many countries, are insignificant in Afghanistan. The loss of the confidence of the investors and producer, the flight of the capital and brain drain have been growing over the past years, more so since 2014. Peace negotiations with few tourists’ leaders here and there and the counterterrorism strategies cannot go successful in Afghanistan unless the remedy is sought in grass root levels. When a large number of the population is impoverished and deprived of a dignified source of living, they can easily fall prey in the hands of terror groups other than the current ones, anytime in the future. Therefore, the provision of sustainable sources of jobs and income need to be seriously taken into considerations for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. One such feasible means at the moment is the public investment in the establishment of small and medium scale labour-intensive factories and the reactivation of the country’s state-owned enterprises. Public sector enterprises have a long history in Afghanistan. For the first time, during the second term reign of Amir Sher Ali (1868-79) few factories were established in Kabul. The decades of planning (1953-1973) were comparatively a period of significant industrialisation, infrastructure building, and economic progress in Afghanistan. A wide variety of firms from cotton mills to large-scale public transportation enterprises, construction firms, electricity-generating factories, arms-producing factories, public utilities, agricultural cooperatives, and insurance firms, were built. These enterprises at times could provide up to 60 per cent of the revenues of the governments, and their products could to a reasonable extent fulfill the demands of the government institutions and the domestic markets (MoF, Afg). The government of Afghanistan had fully owned 64 fully or semi-operational public sector enterprises, locally known as Tasady in 2004 (MoF, Afg). Though not in good shape and full operation, still few SOEs have a significant market share in their relevant sectors, like the electrical utility company (Sherkat-e-Breshna), Afghan Telecom, and the Ariana Airlines, etc. However, on the one side, most of these enterprises were damaged during the wars of the 90s and on the other side, with the adaptation of Afghanistan to the neoliberal economic ideology these enterprises were impelled to privatization and dissolution. Since 2005 when the privatisation plan was approved, some 26 of the SOEs were either privatized, changed to public companies or dissolved (MoF, Af). In the absence of a progressing private sector, the government is obliged to play the role of the entrepreneur in the economy. At the moment, to prevent a larger humanitarian crisis caused by war, drought, and economic turmoil, the government of Afghanistan needs to undertake a robust social security system. Under the current critical situation, the state-owned enterprises could be the best policy instruments in the hands of the government to fight unemployment, inflation, and poverty in the country. If the half-remained Skeleton of the SOEs in Afghanistan are rescued from the looting under the labels of privatisation and if enough investments are made for their re-operationalization and capacity expansion, they would, directly and indirectly, provide a sustainable source of living for a significant portion of workers, who are otherwise easy preys in the hands of the terrorist groups. Currently, along with the US and Russia, almost every country in the region from Pakistan to Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and recently Turkey are trying to have their share of play in the ongoing peace negotiations with the Taliban, often by circumventing the people and government of Afghanistan; scattered initiatives that can only make the peace process more complex and challenging. However, few of these countries have something tangible to offer for the betterment of the situation in Afghanistan, rather than the pursuance of their strategic interests. It should not go unacknowledged that few countries like India on the other hand, have been the most reliable partners to the development of Afghanistan over the past years. They can continue to win people’s hearts and minds through their soft policies of developmental interventions. Such assistance as infrastructural development and job creation for the ordinary people can best lead Afghanistan towards lasting peace and stability by boosting the capabilities of the people and eternally stimulating the grassroots’ voices for peace and cooperation with the government. As India has a long history of running public sector enterprises, the government of Afghanistan can seek technical assistance from India and other such countries for the re-operationalisation of its SOEs and establishment of additional labour-intensive processing and manufacturing units in Afghanistan. The need for the robust participation of the government and the assistance of the international community for countering economic downturn, unemployment and poverty are inevitable for the resolution of the uninterrupted 50 years of conflict and the establishment of lasting peace in Afghanistan. At the end of the day, it would be more of sustainable jobs and income, not bullets and complicated peace rounds that will persuade a large number of people to stand alongside the democratically elected government of Afghanistan against the terrorist oppositions. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A viable path for boosting peace in Afghanistan

A Taliban suicide bomb and gun attack on a police headquarters in eastern&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;killed at least five officers and injured 18 other people Sunday, authorities said.

The attack -- part of the Taliban&#39;s all-out assault during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan -- was launched at 6:00 am and was still continuing more than six hours later, said the regional police commander, Asadullah Shirzad.

In addition to the dead, nine police officers and nine civilians were wounded, he said.

The attack involved at least five Taliban, one of whom blew himself up at the entrance to the site in the city of Gardez to clear the way for the others.

One was still holding out more than six hours later, said Shirzad, whose base in the city centre houses both regular policemen and police special forces.

His description of the attack suggested a well-prepared and coordinated assault.

&quot;One (attacker) blew up his vehicle at the entrance of the headquarters, opening the way for two others who opened fire on the security forces. Another suicide bomber was killed,&quot; he told AFP.

The head of the police hospital, Dr. Shir Mohammad, confirmed the five fatalities.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the operation in a statement.

&quot;Around 6:20 this morning a martyr attack was conducted by our mujahideen against a special forces base in Gardez, Paktia,&quot; he wrote.

&quot;First a car bomb detonated then our mujahideen entered the building, opening fire on police.&quot;

Since they launched their spring offensive in late April, the Taliban have been mounting lethal assaults on positions of the Afghan army and police, who have lost several dozen men in recent weeks.&nbsp;

About sixty soldiers were killed on their bases, mostly at night, in the southern province of Kandahar alone around the end of May.&nbsp;

The insurgents are also targeting the international coalition supporting Afghan forces.

Seven US soldiers were injured on Saturday in an insider attack by an Afghan soldier who turned his weapon on his instructors and advisers.&nbsp;

The Taliban did not directly claim the attack but described the soldier, who was killed, as a &quot;patriot.&quot;&nbsp;

On June 11 the insurgents claimed responsibility for a similar attack in which an Afghan soldier&nbsp;killed three US soldiers and wounded a fourth in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

The Pentagon is set to announce it is sending another 4,000 US troops to the country to counter the increasingly aggressive insurgents.

US troops in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;currently number about 8,400, with another 5,000 from NATO allies. They mainly serve in a training and advisory capacity.

A Taliban suicide bomb and gun attack on a police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan killed at least five officers and injured 18 other people Sunday, authorities said. The attack -- part of the Taliban's all-out assault during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan -- was launched at 6:00 am and was still continuing more than six hours later, said the regional police commander, Asadullah Shirzad. In addition to the dead, nine police officers and nine civilians were wounded, he said. The attack involved at least five Taliban, one of whom blew himself up at the entrance to the site in the city of Gardez to clear the way for the others. One was still holding out more than six hours later, said Shirzad, whose base in the city centre houses both regular policemen and police special forces. His description of the attack suggested a well-prepared and coordinated assault. "One (attacker) blew up his vehicle at the entrance of the headquarters, opening the way for two others who opened fire on the security forces. Another suicide bomber was killed," he told AFP. The head of the police hospital, Dr. Shir Mohammad, confirmed the five fatalities. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the operation in a statement. "Around 6:20 this morning a martyr attack was conducted by our mujahideen against a special forces base in Gardez, Paktia," he wrote. "First a car bomb detonated then our mujahideen entered the building, opening fire on police." Since they launched their spring offensive in late April, the Taliban have been mounting lethal assaults on positions of the Afghan army and police, who have lost several dozen men in recent weeks. About sixty soldiers were killed on their bases, mostly at night, in the southern province of Kandahar alone around the end of May. The insurgents are also targeting the international coalition supporting Afghan forces. Seven US soldiers were injured on Saturday in an insider attack by an Afghan soldier who turned his weapon on his instructors and advisers. The Taliban did not directly claim the attack but described the soldier, who was killed, as a "patriot." On June 11 the insurgents claimed responsibility for a similar attack in which an Afghan soldier killed three US soldiers and wounded a fourth in the eastern province of Nangarhar. The Pentagon is set to announce it is sending another 4,000 US troops to the country to counter the increasingly aggressive insurgents. US troops in Afghanistan currently number about 8,400, with another 5,000 from NATO allies. They mainly serve in a training and advisory capacity.

At least 5 dead, 18 wounded in Afghan police HQ attacks

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