New Delhi (NVI): The Afghan government has released 317 Taliban prisoners in the past two days in response to the group’s three-day ceasefire. The move could potentially lead to long-delayed peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban.
The prisoners were released from Parwan and other provinces, bringing the total to 4,917, the National Security Council tweeted today, reports TOLO news.
“Release will continue until the total reaches 5,100,” NSC said.
On Friday, the first day of Eid-al-Adha, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had ordered the release of 500 Taliban prisoners in after the group announced three-day ceasefire earlier.
Ghani said the 500 prisoners would be released within the next four days. However, they are not prisoners that are on Taliban’s list. The Taliban list includes detainees that the Afghan government has said are accused of serious crimes, reports TOLO news.
Meanwhile, as a solution, the US has proposed that hundreds of Taliban prisoners be transferred to house arrest in a supervised facility when they are freed from Afghan jails.
The move was proposed to end the deadlock that is holding up the intra-Afghan negotiations, the Afghan website reports.
The release of the 500 Taliban prisoners would complete the Government’s part as outlined in a deal the Taliban signed with the United States.
According to the peace deal signed between the United States and the Taliban, the Afghan government would release 5,000 Taliban prisoners while the Taliban would release 1,000 government captives.
-ARK
