Pakistan has offered to mediate a settlement between the Taliban and opposition groups. This is unlikely to get very far, for even Pakistan refuses to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. Since it was Pakistani support that got the Taliban going several years ago, it appears that Pakistan's main objective is to keep the Afghans occupied with each other. Otherwise, Afghans would, as they have often in the past, gotten involved in Pakistani affairs. Many of the tribes in western Pakistan are related ethically with groups in eastern Afghanistan.