Public lecture: Talking with the Pakistani Taliban

The question of whether governments should engage with talks with terrorist groups is at the center of international controversy due to attempts to negotiate with the Taliban movement in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In spite of heavy criticism, both the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been reaching out to elements of the Taliban movements in Pakistan or Afghanistan, albeit with distinct agendas. While in public opinion, the attempts towards talks or negotiations are often framed as surrender or knee fall to terrorism, there are nevertheless convincing arguments to apply the instrument of diplomacy rather than hard power to deal with insurgent movements like the Taliban.

This talk focused on the case of Pakistan and draw out the counterinsurgency rationale behind talks with insurgent groups as well as the potential conflict de-escalating effects of meeting with the militants. Dr. Sheikh drew on her own experiences from meeting militants in Pakistan, and what she learned from her interviews with Taliban activists and leaders.