IN the wake of the outrageous and shocking violence that Afghanistan has recently suffered, the offer is a bold and courageous one.

Repeating a temporary ceasefire offer ahead of Eid, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has for the second time this year declared that his country will cease military action against the Afghan Taliban for up to two months if the latter reciprocate.

Mixed signals from the Taliban camp — announcing that some prisoners in their custody will be released, while attacking several passenger buses outside Kunduz city and taking many hostages — have left unclear the insurgents’ intentions.

It is hoped that better sense will prevail and the Taliban will allow all of Afghanistan, including their own fighters, a peaceful Eid. The joyous scenes from Eidul Fitr this year of Afghans across the war divide embracing each other and celebrating together were a blessed reminder that not only do all Afghans deserve peace, but that harmony is, in fact, possible.

Successive Eids celebrated with a nationwide ceasefire in place are both needed and deserved by the Afghan people.

Encouragingly, it appears that President Ghani’s ceasefire offer has the support of the US too. A ceasefire is the gateway to talks, and with the US not only endorsing Afghan talks but having demonstrated a willingness to bilaterally engage the Afghan Taliban in preliminary negotiations, the insurgents ought to recognise that a historic opportunity beckons.

With Pakistan having consistently demonstrated that it is willing to do its part to encourage and support an Afghan dialogue process, China supportive of Afghan talks, and regional powers such as Russia and Iran concerned about the presence of the militant Islamic State in the region, conditions exist for a coordinated push for discussions with the fighters.

The Taliban ought to recognise the futility of trying to militarily win a war in Afghanistan — eroding US political will does not amount to the world turning its back on Afghanistan again. May Eidul Azha bring good tidings to Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2018