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Atmar says gov’t will release remaining ‘hard-core’ Taliban prisoners by the end of next week
The Afghan government says that it would release the remaining “hard-core” Taliban prisoners by the end of next week, aimed to kick start the long-waited intra-Afghan negotiations.
In an online discussion hosted by Washington D.C.-based United States Institute of Peace, Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar said, “we will have released by the end of next week over 5 600 of Taliban’s prisoners.”
It is extremely important for us to work closely with Central Asia and assure them that peace in Afghanistan is going to serve their security needs as well, says Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar. #AfghanPeace https://t.co/uG5iZnCdY1
— U.S. Institute of Peace (@USIP) August 27, 2020
Atmar urged the freed prisoners not to return to the battlefields.
“The Taliban will have to honor their promise that these people will not go back to the battlefield,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said Thursday that Intra-Afghan negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban would start next week.
The first round of talks is expected to take place in Doha, Qatar, and will likely focus on a ceasefire.
Talks were due to start early this month but stalled after President Ashraf Ghani failed to release the remaining 320 Taliban prisoners as per a decree he signed to this effect.
Already about 5,000 Taliban prisoners have been freed but the last batch is deemed hardcore and is guilty of having masterminded some of the more serious attacks in the country while others are drug kingpins.
Atmar, however, said that most of this issue has been resolved.
“It seems that most of the hurdles have been either removed or we are in the process of building consensus on a solution. I am cautiously optimistic that this will not be a further hurdle on the way,” Atmar said.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, has said that no country should interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, stressing that it is up to Afghans themselves to bring about any change in their country.
In a post on X, Durrani said Afghans should be “left to their own devices” and that they would eventually “find the way out” of their challenges.
However, he warned that instability inside Afghanistan could have negative consequences for neighbouring countries, adding that Afghan leaders and their supporters should take responsibility to address such risks.
Durrani described his remarks as a simple expression of goodwill and best wishes for the Afghan people and their future.
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Uzbekistan and Japan discuss joint projects for Afghanistan’s socio-economic development
The Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, has met with Tetsuya Yamada, Director General of the South Asia Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss cooperation on Afghanistan-related development projects.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides focused on the implementation of joint initiatives aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the Japanese side praised Uzbekistan’s “pragmatic approach” toward Afghanistan, as well as the infrastructure developed in the border city of Termez.
Japan also expressed interest in utilizing the Termez facilities for future humanitarian and development projects in Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, private sector development, and counter-narcotics efforts.
Both sides emphasized that such cooperation is aimed at improving the living conditions and overall well-being of the Afghan people.
Two people were killed and 51 others injured after a passenger bus overturned in the province, police said on Friday.
The incident took place last night in the Adraskan district, and authorities say excessive speed was the main cause of the crash.
The injured victims have been transferred to nearby health facilities for treatment.
Herat police have urged passenger transport drivers to strictly follow traffic rules and regulations and to avoid speeding and reckless driving.
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