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Arrangements to release 2,000 more Taliban prisoners
The Taliban technical delegations and the Afghan government are preparing a list of 2,000 other Taliban prisoners for release in Kabul.
An inside government source said that the government may not agree to release some of the prisoners on the list, so the release of 2,000 prisoners will begin after taking a review of the list.
Nonetheless, President Ghani has said that the 2,000 Taliban prisoners will be released soon.
Latif Mahmood, a deputy presidential spokesman, said, “The release of the detainees is a fundamental decision of the government to end the violence, secure the ceasefire and speed up the peace process. We expect the opposition to stop violence and engage in peace (talks) which is the main desire of people.”
With the release of 2,000 other prisoners, the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners will be completed based on the US-Taliban agreement.
Ahmad Saeedi, a political expert, said, “The release of 5,000 prisoners is being done under the pressure of the United States and Zalmay Khalilzad. He (Khalilzad) made this clear during a recent meeting with the three Afghan leaders: Hamid Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, and Abdullah Abdullah that the talks will not start unless the prisoner releases are completed.”
As the peace process progresses, the Office of the National Security Council says 89 civilians were killed and 150 others wounded in Taliban military operations in the past two weeks – a claim denied by the Taliban.
“In the last two weeks alone, they have martyred 89 civilians and wounded 150 others in 29 provinces, contrary to all human, Islamic and war principles,” said Jawid Faisal, the spokesman for the ONSC.
Although government sources acknowledge that violence has declined in the graph, violence has not been significantly reduced as expected by the government.
During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, India and Russia issued a joint statement highlighting their close coordination on Afghanistan. Both sides appreciated the ongoing dialogue between their respective Security Councils and underscored the significance of the Moscow Format meetings in promoting regional stability.
The leaders welcomed counter-terrorism efforts targeting international terrorist groups, including ISIS, ISKP, and their affiliates, expressing confidence in a comprehensive and effective approach to combating terrorism in Afghanistan. They also stressed the urgent need to ensure uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
India and Russia have maintained close ties on regional security, particularly concerning developments in Afghanistan following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021. The Moscow Format, a diplomatic platform including Afghanistan’s neighbors, has played a key role in facilitating dialogue on peace, stability, and counter-terrorism in the region.
Five civilians were killed and five others wounded in firing by Pakistani troops on Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province late on Friday, sources told Ariana News.
The attack comes two days after a new round of peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan reportedly ended without a breakthrough, though both sides agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire.
The recent talks in Saudi Arabia were the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia aimed at easing tensions after deadly clashes near the Durand Line in October. Dozens were killed in the clashes in October.
Islamabad claims that Afghanistan-based militants carried out the recent attacks in Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations, saying it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said Afghan forces had responded to the recent Pakistani attacks.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi says both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, who visited Islamabad on Thursday, expressed their mutual commitment to a peaceful, stable Afghanistan with a sustainable future for the Afghan people.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Andrabi stated that both sides agreed that the Islamic Emirate must fulfill its obligations toward the international community and take concrete steps against terrorist groups to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.
This comes while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly emphasized that no terrorist groups operate from Afghan territory and that it will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any country.
The Islamic Emirate has also stated that Pakistan’s security concerns are an internal issue of that country, and Pakistan itself must take measures to prevent any security incidents.
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