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terrible failure of Afghan intelligence. However, that is not the case as in the past the Afghan government on many occasions claimed
that Mullah Omar was dead. I am confident that in comparison to Nawaz Sharif, Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani were far more informed
about the death of Mullah Omar.
This was essentially an internal issue of the Taliban. If Mullah Akhtar Mansour was commanding the Taliban as Mullah Omar, and was
issuing speeches in his name, that had nothing to do with the peace talks. What matters most to Afghanistan at that time was the fact
that Pakistan brought the top leadership of Taliban along with international delegations to settle the issue. Mullah Mansour also issued a
statement in the name of Mullah Omar to support those negotiations. So from the Afghan perspective, it was in the best interest of
Afghanistan to protect that secret to ensure a peaceful Afghanistan. This news embarrassed the Taliban, and to reunite power, Mullah
Mansour had no other option but to prove his power through guns and bombs.
There are certain other minor issues that resulted in failure. To achieve a peaceful Afghanistan and a prosperous Pakistan, it is time the
Afghan government corrected its mistakes; and Pakistan concentrated on working on its failures. It is very clear that if Afghanistan
remains trapped in anarchy, it will result in the collapse of the economy and social systems of Pakistan, Afghanistan even the whole
region.
Negotiations are the only option left with Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Taliban. Without talks, everyone stands to lose, and all
stakeholders will be doomed to sitting with guns in their hands for the next several decades.
Email: saleem.safi@janggroup.com.pk
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