Iwas all set to write on why talks between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban are not making any progress, but then came the big headline, 'Pakistan, Afghan Taliban reach interim understanding in Istanbul talks.' This takes us to the next level, and the big question now will be whether the ceasefire agreement can convert into an enduring peace agreement. To answer this question, I would like to draw some assumptions by viewing the Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship from five different angles: of negative peace, ideology, power politics, deterrence and the Pakistan-India rivalry.

The nature of the Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship is such that if there will ever be peace between the two countries, it will be what political scientists call 'negative peace' — peace maintained by the absence of war r

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