Pakistan, March 5 -- In our troubled borderlands, where every incident of militancy sends ripples of fear through our communities, the need for meaningful engagement with Afghanistan has never been more urgent. Unfortunately, instead of adopting a structured and transparent dialogue process, our current approach remains frustratingly superficial: merely a series of token gestures that avoid addressing the deeper governance challenges.

From announcements of engagements featuring tribal elders from both sides of the border last year to calls for the army chief to reconsider talks with the Taliban, the current flurry of diplomatic chatter seems more about optics than substance. As KP's chief minister speaks in lofty terms condemning militan...