The time-tested relationship between China and Pakistan has often raised hopes that the two neighboring countries could cooperate and initiate measures to stabilize their war-torn neighbor, Afghanistan.

As US forces started moving out of the Kandahar air base in preparation for withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11, reports emerged that Taliban fighters had laid siege to the headquarters of Kandahar’s Maiwand and Arghastan districts.

May 1 is fast approaching but the US has yet to make up its mind on whether to stay beyond the deadline or withdraw its forces in keeping with a commitment made with the Taliban under the terms of the Doha peace deal signed on February 29 last year.

The intra-Afghan peace negotiations recently resumed in Doha, Qatar after a 20-day break, but there has been no real progress in finalizing the agenda before formal talks could begin on substantive issues.

It is difficult to forget Mirwais Jalil, a 25-year old colleague at the BBC who was kidnapped and murdered on July 29, 1994 near Kabul during the civil war between the mujahideen groups vying for power. 

A rather contentious issue has been inserted into the slow-moving Afghan peace process following a suggestion by President Ashraf Ghani, that the next round of intra-Afghan negotiations should be held inside Afghanistan.