KABUL – Taliban Rejects Afghan Prisoner Release. The Taliban, on Wednesday, said that the release of Taliban prisoners are against the peace deal with the United States. Adding that they would not talk with the Afghan government until all 5,000 prisoners are freed.
According to details, the Taliban promised to open talks with the government as part of the accord. However, they say that the release of all of their 5,000 comrades was also part of the deal. Adding that they won’t talk until all are freed. President Ashraf Ghani has not freed all 5,000 in one go. Instead, he let go of an initial 1,500 prisoners. With the other 3,500 to be set free in parallel with progress in the peace talks.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy who was the key negotiator in talks with the Taliban, has urged both sides to sit down for talks on the problem. Despite the accord between the United States and the Taliban, fighting has continued in various parts of the country. Taliban Rejects Afghan Prisoner Release.
US and the Taliban came together after 19 years to sign a peace deal on 29th February. Meanwhile, Zalmay Khalilzad from US and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar from Taliban signed the deal. Marking the end of the longest war-engagement in US history. Almost two decades of conflict in Afghanistan that led to the death of thousands and trillions of dollars lost.
The signing ceremony occurred in Doha. Representatives and diplomats from 50 countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, US, and India attended. Senior Taliban leaders along with US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad attended. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was also there. Meanwhile, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi represented Pakistan at the ceremony.