The way Taliban killed a harmless comedian, Nazar Mohammad popularly known as Khasha Zwan, in Kandahar has unveiled their ruthlessness while raising serious questions on their claim to have reformed.

It may be an alarm bell for the world but especially the region to wait for the looming return of an old and tyrannical era in Afghanistan.

The comedian’s heart-wrenching video went viral on social media in which he is seen beaten and humiliated by the Taliban soldiers, who first denied killing the comedian but later accepted to have ‘punished the culprit’ for working for the Afghan forces.

By killing the comedian the insurgents have violated one major war principle of Islam in which the enemies who are unarmed or have surrendered cannot be killed as it is strictly prohibited.

It seems as Taliban leadership has advertently set aside the Doha accord in which they promised not to kill or harm those who worked for the Afghan government or its institutions.

According to media reports Taliban fighters killed the comedian cold-bloodedly by firing shots on his whole body and later mutilated it to add insult to injury.

Public executions of opponents and alleged criminals are contradicting the Taliban’s own assurances not to kill people as revenge. Now Taliban’s opponents can rightly believe that talks of the Taliban’s ideological transformation are just rumors. All these public executions are enough to convince the Taliban’s critics that they have no mercy for both civilian and non-civilian opponents and that they will crush them ruthlessly without caring for national and international outcomes.

Intra-Afghan talks for future political setup have so far stalled and both sides (Ashraf Ghani and Taliban leadership) are responsible. Unfortunately, Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan President, blames Pakistan for the Taliban’s advancement and pledges to recapture his lost areas. Ghani is so desperate that he seeks help from India to defeat the Taliban. Video of IAF planes unloading weapons at Kabul airport is clear signs of the situation becoming more volatile in the future.

On the other side, the Taliban too are not willing to listen to any sane voice including Pakistan. They now, as media reports suggest, want the Islamic Emirate back in Afghanistan ignoring their pledge for an inclusive setup. The recent rejection by the Taliban of a portion of the government means they now want power through military means.

There are more troubling reports: The Afghan Taliban are maintaining contacts with Al Qaeda which is a clear violation of the Doha Accord despite the fact that it was the Doha Accord that led to the exit of foreign forces from Afghanistan.

A recent UN report says Al Qaeda is present in around 15 Afghan provinces besides Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent reportedly working under Taliban protection. Anti-Pakistan terrorists such as TTP also maintain hideouts in Afghanistan. The presence of Central Asian militants and members of the IS-Khorasan chapter make the whole picture more worrisome.

For Pakistan, the situation is a serious test case of its diplomatic and strategic expertise as it cannot take its eyes off the emerging geo-political scenario in the neighbor. According to reports thousands of people are evacuating the areas the Taliban are undertaking. The major influx of these fleeing civilians will surely take refuge in the nearby countries including Pakistan, already hosting more than 3 million refugees. Refugees are one of the aftershocks of the civil war in Afghanistan, the others would be more troublesome and devastating.

China’s keen interest in peace in Afghanistan is a welcome step. Afghan leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Brother’s visit to China and meeting with foreign minister Wang Yi means the regional forces are taking the Taliban as a serious contender for the next government in Afghanistan.

With the collective effort of China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan stalemate in the Intra-Afghan talks can be removed. The solution won’t be too far if the conflicting warring sides sit at a table.

It is high time for Ashraf Ghani and other stalwarts of the Afghan government to leave their ego behind and move forward for their people or let the country be the rolling stone for the international players.

For the Taliban, too, the time has come to foresee the future of the Afghan people. Either choose to become part of the world or remain in isolation to fuel conflict further in the country.

Remember, Afghanistan can only become a civilized country if all stakeholders sit together and agree on a constitution that allows freedom of expression and women rights etc.

A constitution-based democracy can bring peace to Afghanistan. The repercussions, otherwise, would be lethal for the whole region and particularly for Pakistan.