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NSA says release of Taliban prisoners would be conditional
Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said Saturday that the government would release 7,000 Taliban prisoners, demanded by the group as part of the Doha deal, only if the group significantly reduces violence.
Addressing a press conference, Mohib urged the Taliban not to demand the release of drug traffickers.
“When it comes to releasing of prisoners, the Taliban should prove that the people [to be freed] are not smugglers,” Mohib said.
Mohib’s statement comes just days after First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said at a public gathering in Parwan province that “no further release [of prisoners] is going to happen.”
“We have no prisoner release plans in place for the Taliban,” Saleh said.
Meanwhile, the National Directorate of Security Chief Ahmadzia Saraj said a grave gap has been created among the Taliban’s political and military leaders.
The Taliban have intensified clashes across the country as the foreign troops are getting ready to withdraw from Afghanistan.
The Defense Ministry, however, claimed that the group has been defeated on the battlefield.
“Thousands of Taliban militants have been killed in Arghandab clashes. The group is certainly defeated in Kandahar, they (Taliban) said that they are not capable of fighting against the Afghan forces,” Acting Defense Minister Yasin Zia said.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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