Afghan govt begins process to release 400 Taliban prisoners

(Karachi) The Afghan government has started the process of releasing the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners, local media reported on Friday. On August 9, Afghanistan's Grand Assembly (Loya Jirga) announced its decision to free Taliban prisoners to remove last hurdle in intra-Afghan peace talks.

As per details, 80 Taliban prisoners were released on August 13.

In February, a deal was reached between the United States and the Taliban in which it was agreed that 5,000 Taliban prisoners will be released from Afghan prisons before peace talks between the militant group and the government. The government has so far released 4,600 prisoners.

The Loya Jirga, which was attended by more than 3,000 elders, community leaders and politicians, stated that intra-Afghan peace talks should begin immediately. It said that foreign prisoners, if any, should be handed over to their respective nations after receiving credible guarantees from their governments.

The jirga also decided that the freed prisoners should not return to the battlefield while permanent ceasefire should be imposed.

On August 10, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani issued a decree to release the final batch of prisoners demanded by the Taliban as a condition to move to peace talks.

The Taliban had said that once the prisoners are released they would start peace talks within a week after months of delays since the United States signed a troop withdrawal deal in February.