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Taliban: Prisoner Swap Did Not Take Place
The Taliban militant group confirmed that the exchange of Haqqani network prisoners with the two kidnapped professors from the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) did not take place.
In a phone call with Ariana News, the group’s spokesman Zabihulla Mjujaheed said, Anas Haqqani, Hafiz Rashid and Mali Khan were expected to be transferred to Qatar and Taliban would hand over the two AUAF professors to Americans inside Afghanistan but for unknown reasons the swap did not happen.
According to the Taliban official, the three top insurgent commanders are still in Bagram Prison.
“[The] Taliban demanded release of 82 prisoners in exchange for [the] two professors but the Afghan government released only three of them,” Abdul Shokur Motmaein, a former Taliban official, said.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s First Lady Rula Ghani, on Thursday, admitted that the prisoners swap for two AUAF professors “did not work.”
Speaking at US Institute of Peace in Washington DC, Rula Ghani said,“I am not quite sure why, but probably some party did not do what they promised they are going to do, so, unfortunately, the two professors may not be released.”
President Ashraf Ghani, in a televised press conference on Tuesday, confirmed that Anas Haqqani, Haji Mali Khan and Hafiz Rashid, three top Haqqani Network commanders, have been “conditionally released” in exchange for the release of two foreign university professors who were kidnapped by the Haqqani Network in 2016.
Ghani added that the negotiation was made in close cooperation with the U.S. in order to pave the way for face-to-face negotiations with the Taliban.
Sources told Ariana News that a cabinet meeting of Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate was held last Wednesday in Kandahar under the leadership of Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Islamic Emirate.
According to the sources, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, along with a large number of cabinet members, also attended the meeting.
Sources added that key issues related to the country were discussed and reviewed during the meeting.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, head of the National Examinations Authority, announced on Friday that the fourth and final round of the university entrance examination (Kankor), in which 120,000 candidates participated, has concluded in a transparent manner.
He added that this was an important and valuable step for the country’s academic process, which was successfully implemented by the National Examinations Authority through precise planning, organized management, and joint efforts.
This year’s Kankor examination organized in four stages. In the first stage, graduates from 15 provinces participated; in the second stage, graduates from 18 provinces were included; and in the third stage, 12th-grade graduates from Kabul province took part.
In the final stage, absentees from previous stages, graduates from abroad, graduates of ethnic and tribal studies, graduates of religious schools in Kabul province, 14th-grade graduates, and night faculty applicants were included. This examination was held today (Friday).
The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed receipt of a list of members of an Islamic Emirate delegation scheduled to travel to Brussels, with security screening for visa issuance now underway.
The delegation is expected to hold talks with the European Union focused on the return of Afghan migrants.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner has described the visa process for Islamic Emirate officials as “somewhat complicated,” while stressing the need for constructive dialogue with the authorities in Kabul to address migration-related challenges.
Political analyst Ghous Janbaz said European countries are interested in engaging directly with Islamic Emirate representatives, including on the return of Afghan migrants who have allegedly committed crimes in Europe.
The development comes amid growing pressure on Afghan migrants across Europe in recent years, with countries such as Germany and Austria reportedly taking steps toward deporting some Afghan asylum seekers.
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