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Taliban urges US, Afghan gov’t to clarify allegations against 600 controversial prisoners
Following the Afghan government’s refusal to release 600 Taliban inmates who were believed to be involved in what was referred to as big attacks, the group called on the Afghan government and US to provide evidence for the allegations against their prisoners.
The government says 600 Taliban prisoners charged with serious offenses will not be released, but the Taliban’s political office in Doha says that when a political agreement is reached between the group and the United States, the issue of Taliban prisoners’ crimes will be eliminated.
Mohammad Nabi Omari, a member of the Taliban’s political bureau and negotiating team, said: “Once a political agreement has been reached, there is no need to review the prisoners’ files and if there is, we are ready. Indirectly, it is said to the Afghan government and Dr. Khalilzad to provide evidence about prisoners.”
The Taliban’s political bureau says it has received a list of 24 people from the government, said to be foreign nationals, and the government will not release them, but the Taliban say at least 12 people on the list have Afghan IDs, but the Taliban confirmed the possibility that some of them may have dual citizenship.
Mohammad Nabi Omari added: “By creating fake cases, some high-ranking figures of the Islamic Emirate or commanders are among the prisoners that the Kabul administration does not want to be released.”
The presidency, however, says the government has released 4,400 Taliban detainees and that Intra-Afghan dialogues must be started immediately.
“So far, 4,400 Taliban prisoners have been released and we want talks to begin immediately. Attacks by the Taliban have slowed the process, and the blame for the war lies with the Taliban,” said Sediq Sediqqi, the president’s spokesman.
At the same time, the Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Kabul tweeted urging the Afghan leaders to form a new government and a High Council of Reconciliation as soon as possible, complete the prisoner exchange and start negotiations between the Afghans.
“Our negotiating team is ready to talk to the Taliban, and the Taliban must be prepared, and the formation of the High Reconciliation Council will be announced soon,” said Feraydoun Khawzoon, spokesman for the High National Reconciliation Council.
The government and the Taliban also disagree on the number of prisoners released. The government says it has released 4,400 Taliban prisoners and only half of the government prisoners have been released by the Taliban, but the Taliban political bureau says 4,000 Taliban prisoners and more than 800 government prisoners have been released.
A high-ranking Uzbek delegation comprising government officials and private sector representatives from the Republic of Karakalpakstan arrived in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
The delegation is headed by Amanbay Orinbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation is expected to hold talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations.
The ministry said the visiting delegation will also participate in trade connectivity meetings and business-to-business sessions aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between the two sides.
As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation is also scheduled to travel to Balkh province, where members will attend additional trade meetings and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan’s domestic products.
Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.
In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.
He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.
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SAARC failure pushes Pakistan toward trilateral ties with Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh: Dar
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has said that the failure of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is pushing Pakistan toward exploring trilateral cooperation frameworks involving Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh.
Speaking at the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Conference in Lahore on Friday, Dar said SAARC has “unfortunately not been able to kick off,” limiting regional economic integration and cooperation.
He said Pakistan is now looking at alternative regional arrangements to strengthen economic connectivity and trade, including trilateral formats such as China–Pakistan–Afghanistan and China–Pakistan–Bangladesh.
Dar stressed that South Asia cannot remain in “isolation,” noting that the region, home to nearly two billion people, is missing significant economic opportunities due to weak cooperation among neighbouring countries.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 to promote economic and regional integration among South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The organisation was designed to encourage cooperation in areas such as trade, development, education, and cultural exchange. However, in recent years, SAARC’s effectiveness has been significantly limited due to political tensions between member states, particularly between India and Pakistan, leading to stalled summits and reduced regional engagement.
As a result, regional economic cooperation in South Asia has largely remained underdeveloped compared to other regional blocs around the world.
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