Actual reason behind the delay in the Taliban prisoners releases

The main reason why the Taliban prisoner releases have been postponed is that the group wants 15 of its most dangerous commanders to be released among others.

Abdul Mateen Bik, a member of the Afghan negotiating team, said that these commanders were responsible for major and deadly attacks, and if they are released, they will try to attack different parts of the country. Bik also talked about preparations to release 400 Taliban prisoners.

Releasing 5,000 Taliban is a part of the US-Taliban peace agreement.

A team of three Taliban negotiators are in Kabul to come to an agreement with the Afghan government for the prisoner release – so far, these negotiations have been inconclusive.

Abdul Mateen Bik, head of the independent directorate of the local governance and a member of the government negotiating team, said that the Taliban wants the release of 15 of its prominent military commanders.

These commanders, according to Mateen Bik, are responsible for major attacks, and now the government doesn’t want to release them.

The Spokesperson for the Taliban’s political office in Qatar told Ariana News that the Taliban’s delegation will not stay long in Kabul and that if the laterals don’t reach any agreement, the team will leave Kabul.

The Taliban believes that the prisoner release is a part of the US-Taliban agreement and is unconditional, and now the Afghan government puts new terms and conditions which the Taliban does not accept.

The extreme disagreements between the Taliban and the Afghan government have postponed the Intra-Afghan Talks and the prisoner release until an uncertain time.

The Taliban had submitted its prisoner’s list to the US before the US-Taliban agreement was signed. The Afghan the government has also announced that the prisoners would be released on March 31st – but now there are further challenges blocking the road ahead.