While an exact date for the start of intra-Afghan talks and the release of more than 300 Taliban prisoners remain uncertain, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in an op-ed for the Washington Post has said that failure of the peace talks with the Taliban will not be an option. He listed the cost in Afghan lives--and the risks taken in the release of Taliban prisoners--and he said that the Afghan people must receive a "dividend" for all they have paid.

"To fail in our pursuit of a sustainable peace is not an option; it would demand a far deadlier price — one that the Afghan people, and our international partners, cannot afford to pay."

In the opinion piece, Ghani said the Taliban must accept the current Afghanistan.

In this episode host Nemat Rawan discusses the topic with the following guests:

Frozan Daoudzai, women’s right activist

Seddiq Mansour Ansari, political activist