A survey conducted by the Institute of War and Studies found that around 57 percent of Afghans are optimistic that the ongoing intra-Afghan Dialogue in Doha, Qatar between the Taliban and the Afghan government could lead to lasting peace, TOLOnews reported. 

The Afghan People’s Peace Perception Survey also shows that around 15 percent of Afghans have no hope from the Doha process while 75 percent of respondents felt that the government should make the ceasefire a priority. 

The survey included 8,627 people; of them, 58.1 percent are men while 41.9 percent are women. Among the respondents, 52.75 percent correspond to urban areas whereas 47.25 percent from rural areas. 

A staggering 74.24 percent of respondents think that violence hasn’t reduced since the start of the intra-Afghan negotiation. On the policy front, around 63.63 percent of Afghans are in the view that the Taliban shouldn’t dominate comprehensive changes in defense and security matters. 

Only a handful, 5.9 percent, support the return of the Taliban’s emirate; 25.2 percent back the protection of the republic system while around equally, 25.5 percent, batted for equal rights for everyone. 

The survey revealed 63.63 percent of Afghans think that there should be no major changes in the Afghan Security and Defense Forces' structure while 22.24 percent supported changes. 

The Afghan People’s Peace Perception Survey is the third such survey conducted by the Institute of War and Studies and is considered one of the most important indicators of major political trends in the country.