With levels of violence rising in Afghanistan and intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha deadlocked since two months, scattered calls for boycotting peace talks with the Taliban have been raised. 

Former Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was the latest among Afghan politicians invited to visit Pakistan as part of Islamabad’s new policy to reach out to important stakeholders in the Afghan peace process-- in its bid to improve bilateral relations.

Though the intra-Afghan negotiations resumed recently in Doha after a frustrating break of nearly two weeks, there is no word yet about any chance of an understanding even on certain basic issues such as the rules of procedures.