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Gov’t begins release of final batch of Taliban prisoners

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The Afghan government has begun releasing the final batch of 400 controversial Taliban prisoners, a step advancing to the start of intra-Afghan negotiations.

The government freed 80 prisoners out of 400 “hard-core” inmates on Thursday from Pule Charkhi jail in Kabul, Javid Faisal, a spokesman of the Office of the National Security Council (ONSC) confirmed.

On Monday, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani signed a decree to pardon and release the 400 Taliban inmates.

The government agreed to release the prisoners after Ghani called for a Loya Jirga, or grand council, which voted in favor of the insurgents’ release following two days of consultations.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan yesterday released 80 Taliban convicts out of the 400 that the Consultative Loya Jirga sanctioned for release to speed up efforts for direct talks and a lasting, nationwide ceasefire,” Javid Faisal said.

In footage shared by the ONSC, the Taliban prisoners admitted that they were involved in organized crimes including murder and kidnapping.

“I was imprisoned for being a member of the Taliban and charged with murder, and I want a lasting ceasefire and peace in the country,” Mohammad Sharif a freed Taliban prisoner told Ariana News.

Mohamad Anwar, another released inmate said, “I was imprisoned for kidnapping. I call on my elders to bring an enduring peace in the country.”

The move was as a part of the US-Taliban deal which was signed in Doha, Qatar, on February 29 in order to start the intra-Afghan negotiations.

This comes as US-brokered intra-Afghan peace talks were scheduled to start in Doha next week.

However, the Afghan negotiating team, led by Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, has not left Kabul for Doha.

Meanwhile, a member of the team says that they would leave Kabul for Doha in the middle of next week.

Ghulam Farooq Majrooh, a member of the negotiating team meanwhile stated: “The delegation has made all the preparations and it will travel to Doha in the middle of next week.”

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High-level Uzbek delegation arrives in Kabul to boost bilateral trade

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A high-level government–private sector delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Shukhrat Abdullazakov, Governor of Namangan province, arrived in Kabul to enhance trade between the two countries and promote investment in Afghanistan.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Industry, the delegation, which includes deputy governors and more than 30 of Uzbekistan’s top businesspeople and investors, will meet with officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and participate in conferences and trade meetings.

The delegation will also travel to Balkh, meet with local officials, and hold business meetings with members of the private sector.

Additionally, the delegation will inaugurate an exhibition of Uzbek products and goods in Mazar-i-Sharif.

This visit follows the trip of Erkinjon Turdimov, Governor of Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya Province, and his accompanying delegation, and is based on meetings between Nuruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Islamic Emirate, and senior Uzbek officials.

Other governors from Uzbekistan are also expected to visit Afghanistan to further expand bilateral trade and economic relations.

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Herat Chamber of Commerce donates 15 million AFN to the people of Iran

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The Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment announced on Saturday that national traders, jointly through the chamber, have provided approximately 15 million AFN in aid to the people of Iran.

The chamber stated that this aid package was delivered to the Iranian Consulate in Herat. It added that the assistance was intended to express solidarity with families affected by the war.

Mohammad Younes Qazizadeh, head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “Today we have presented 15 million AFN to the dear people of Iran through the Herat provincial authorities and the Iranian Consulate, and this aid will continue.”

Meanwhile, officials at the Iranian Consulate in Herat emphasized that Afghanistan and Iran always stand together and fully understand each other’s difficulties.

The Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment also highlighted that the people of Iran have consistently supported the people of Afghanistan during various crises, and their cooperation in different sectors has reached families affected in the country.

Officials of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment stressed that the process of private-sector humanitarian aid to the affected people of Iran will continue.

Following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, many people in the country have been affected and harmed.

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Severe floods in Badghis leave five dead

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Local officials in Badghis have reported that heavy rainfall from midnight until Saturday morning claimed the lives of five people in the province.

According to officials, three people died in Qadis district, while two others, including a three-year-old child, lost their lives in Dara-e-Bum district.

The Badghis Department for Disaster Management stated that the floods not only caused fatalities but also inflicted significant financial losses on local residents and destroyed agricultural land.

However, complete information on the extent of damage and casualties is not yet available. Staff from various government departments have been dispatched to affected areas to conduct preliminary surveys.

Meanwhile, heavy rains and floods in western Afghanistan temporarily blocked the Herat–Kandahar Highway.

According to Mohammad Israil Sayar, head of the Disaster Management Department in Farah province, recent rainfall has caused the Farah River to swell significantly. He added that the situation has now returned to normal, and traffic along the highway has resumed.

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