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Prisoner releases delayed, Afghan gov’t sets condition
The National Security Council says that if the Taliban does not guarantee that the prisoners will not go back to fighting, none of them will be released adding that they can’t be let go under name of “peace” and return back to battlefields.
Sources close to the Taliban underline that the government’s plan of releasing prisoners will take four months which is an explicit violation of the US-Taliban deal.
The government, however, said that the release was stopped, and if it is not guaranteed that it will not return to the battlefield, none of them will be released.
Jawid Faisal, the NSC Spokesperson, said, “The Afghan government has prepared a mechanism to direct and seize opportunities for peace. Dealing with the given list and releasing the prisoners are parts of the mechanism as we don’t want them to return to the battlefield.”
On the other hand, the Taliban insist that unless the 5000 prisoners are released, they will not step into the Intra-Afghan talks with the Afghan government.
Jalaluddin Shinwari, the Taliban’s former attorney general, said, “The government has a plan on releasing the prisoners in four months. It will endanger the process.”
This comes as Islamabad wants both the US and the Taliban to honor the deal and help Afghans reach their demands through negotiations.
Pakistani FM Shah Mahmoud Quraishi called the Taliban “clever and smart” as he thinks that the Taliban are not only good fighters but also good negotiators.
Quraishi underlines that the Taliban understood the challenges before the negotiations, noting that the Taliban have control over 45% of Afghan territory for real and “truth be accepted”.
Some of the civil activists gathered in Kabul and expressed their opposition and concerns regarding the Taliban prisoner release.
Silay Ghafar, the spokesperson of the Afghan National Solidarity Party, said, “The Taliban have violated democracy in the last two decades. They have killed millions of Afghans. Releasing them means dishonoring the blood of martyrs.”
A group of 100 Taliban prisoners was supposed to be released Saturday – as per the US-Taliban agreement.
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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