Afghan government releases more Taliban inmates
Amin Alemi
Press TV, Kabul
The Afghan government has released more Taliban prisoners, taking an important step toward breaking an impasse that has delayed the start of peace talks for months.
The talks were expected to begin in March but were repeatedly delayed as the Taliban and the Afghan government squabbled over the prisoner exchange, which included thousands of militants.
And now both sides seem optimistic regarding the start of the intra-Afghan talks due to the recent developments in prisoner release by Kabul.
As Afghanistan’s national security council says, the prisoner swap process is now finalized after the release of all 5,000 Taliban prisoners by the Afghan government and the release of 20 Afghan commando troops from Taliban custody. This move can pave the way for the launch of the long-delayed intra-Afghan negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
The release of the Taliban prisoners was part of a US-Taliban agreement that was made back in February. The deal was struck in the absence of the Afghan government. Under the deal, the Taliban agreed to halt their attacks on international forces in return for the US military’s phased withdrawal from Afghanistan and the prisoner exchange with the government in Kabul.
The Afghan government has repeatedly expressed its concern regarding foreign interference in the Afghan peace process and stressed the importance of intra-Afghan talks.
The stance has gained support from inside and abroad. For instance, many local political and rights bodies plus regional powers like Iran stress that only Afghans are entitled to making decision for their future.
Washington is compelled under the deal to pull out American forces and foreign troops from Afghanistan by July next year, provided that the militants start talks with Kabul and adhere to other security guarantees.
About 14,000 US troops and approximately 17,000 troops from NATO allies and partner countries remain stationed in Afghanistan.
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