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The stop-start Afghanistan peace process has suffred set-backs due to volatile conditions of the two major parties involved – the Kabul regime and the Taliban insurgency –particularly internal instability of both the actors. Kabul's tenuous hold on much of its territory and struggle to balance its survival and legitimacy; and Taliban's leadership struggles after the loss of its two leaders in a short period of time have ceated major challanges. The role of foreign militants and groups, especially those Afghan militants who have attached themselves to the self-styled Da'ish (ISIS) caliphate, is also instrumental. The challenges that Kabul government faces both in legitimacy and cohesion which largely stem from its reliance on foreign forces underlines the difficulties on the path to any meaningful settlement. Peace talks have been badly undermined by the attempts of the two groups to strengthen their bargaining position and the resultant bad faith in the relations.