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Five days to release hundred Taliban prisoners
The National Security Council says it has decided to release a hundred Taliban prisoners on the president’s verdict and it should be followed by the guarantees from the Taliban not to return to battlefields. Earlier, the Taliban had said that there would be no guarantee as such.
The government of Afghanistan, the United States of America, Qatar, the Red Crescent, and the Taliban, have come to an agreement to start the prisoner releases by March 31.
According to the NSC, the decision has been made in a VTC meeting where all aspects – reduction in violence, face to face talks, permanent ceasefire and paving the ground for prisoner releases – were discussed.
The NSC emphasizes that the government has been trying to receive guarantees from the Taliban making sure that they do not return to the battlefields.
Jawid Faisal, the NSC spokesperson, says, “The Taliban should guarantee that once the prisoners released should not get back to war. A hundred prisoners will be released on March 31.”
The Taliban political spokesperson Suhail Shaheen has tweeted that only the prisoner releases were discussed over the VTC meeting and that the rest will be talked through in the intra-Afghan negotiation.
Sources close to the Taliban indicate that a 37-member Taliban negotiating team will probably visit Kabul to take on the talks about the prisoner release and the rest of the negotiations.
Jalaluddin Shinwari, former Taliban chief justice, says, “Yesterday the second meet took place. They spoke for four hours. The Taliban’s negotiating team comprised of 37 people will hopefully visit Kabul to talk about other important matters as well. The process of prisoner releases will start by March 31. Let’s see when all 5000 prisoners will be released.”
The releases of the Taliban prisoners have been causing concerns around. The human rights commission, civil society and a number of political figures express their concerns asking the government to be careful with its steps and to not let justice down.
The decision of the Taliban releases by March 31 has been acknowledged by the American Peace Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad too.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
The Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, Mohammed Saeed Alayyash, met on Sunday with Rolf Dieter Reinhard, Head of the German Liaison Office for Afghanistan in Doha and Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Afghanistan.
During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They focused on the security situation, as well as the humanitarian and economic conditions faced by the Afghan people.
The two officials also reviewed recent political developments and broader challenges in the country, highlighting the need for continued international engagement and support.
The meeting emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the OIC Mission and the German side in addressing Afghanistan’s challenges and in supporting efforts to promote stability and improve the humanitarian situation.
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