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Taliban welcomes gov’t’s decision of releasing 2,000 prisoners
Taliban welcomed the announcement of the government based on releasing 2,000 prisoners of the group emphasizing the release of all 5,000 prisoners.
In a tweet, the Taliban Political Office Spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said, “Release of 2,000 prisoners by the other side is a good step,” adding “The stipulation in Doha Agreement for release of 5,000 prisoners was to create a conducive atmosphere of confidence.”
“The process should be completed to remove hurdles in the way of commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations and to pave the way for further progress which is to follow,” he added.
Shaheen also expressed the Taliban’s commitment in the matter, writing that they are “committed to release of prisoners on its own part.
This comes as President Ghani initiated a process to release up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture in response to the Taliban’s announcement of a three-day ceasefire over Eid-ul-Fitr, urging the Taliban to release the prisoners under their custody.
The United States has also appreciated the announcement by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
The president wrote on his twitter that he had received a phone call from the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the occasion, noting, “He thanked the Afghan government for initiating the brave process of releasing up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners. He asserted that the US will push for a long-term ceasefire/RiV and start of direct negotiations.”
Last night I and Dr. Abdullah received a call from Sec Mike Pompeo. He thanked the Afghan government for initiating the brave process of releasing up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners. He asserted that the U.S. will push for a long-term ceasefire/RiV and start of direct negotiations.
— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) May 25, 2020
It is noteworthy that since the US-Taliban Doha Agreement, the Afghan government has released 1,500 Taliban prisoners; where the Taliban too, has released up to 200 prisoners of the government.
The process froze when the Taliban increased the level of violence against the Afghan forces; it, however, now seems that the latest efforts of the US special representative, Zalmay Khalilzad, have been fruitful to resume the process.
Noor Mohammad Saqib, Afghanistan’s Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, has traveled to Saudi Arabia to directly supervise the affairs of Afghan pilgrims and lead this year’s hajj operations after the successful arrival of all 30,000 Afghan pilgrims in the kingdom.
According to the ministry, the visit is aimed at strengthening coordination, improving the management of hajj affairs, and closely monitoring the services being provided to Afghan pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage season.
During his trip, the minister is expected to inspect accommodation facilities, transportation arrangements, food distribution, healthcare services, and religious guidance programs for Afghan pilgrims in Makkah, Medina, and other holy sites. He will also evaluate measures taken to ensure the smooth and organized transfer of pilgrims to the sacred rituals areas.
The ministry said Saqib will hold meetings with officials of various hajj committees and provide recommendations aimed at improving organization, coordination, and the effective delivery of services to pilgrims.
As part of his visit, the minister is also scheduled to attend official conferences and meetings organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to meet representatives from Islamic countries, hajj authorities, and contracting companies to discuss ways to further improve hajj services, expand facilities for pilgrims, and strengthen joint cooperation.
The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs stated that members of the Afghan hajj mission, alongside hundreds of employees from contracted service companies, are actively working in committees responsible for transportation, food services, religious rituals, missing persons, and other operational matters.
The ministry added that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure Afghan pilgrims can perform their hajj rituals in a safe, organized, and peaceful environment.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, met on Thursday in Balkh province with the head of Uzbekistan’s Railway Administration.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Uzbek officials said during the meeting that they plan to build a new 1.5-kilometer railway line at Nayebabad Station along the Hairatan–Mazar-e-Sharif railway route. They also intend to construct several warehouses along the line for loading and unloading goods.
Baradar welcomed the initiative and instructed officials of the Ministry of Public Works to jointly carry out the technical and construction work with the Uzbek side.
The construction of the new railway line and warehouses is expected to increase the capacity of Hairatan Port and provide greater facilities for traders.
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IEA says marriage separation regulation aligns with Sharia
The spokesman added that only in the past year, thousands of cases of forced marriages involving girls were addressed in the courts.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said during an interview that criticism by some circles regarding the marriage separation regulation is not new and should not be given importance by those opposing Islamic principles.
Mujahid said those who accept Islamic laws should have no concerns in this regard, adding that there is no law within the Islamic Emirate that contradicts Islamic Sharia.
The spokesman also stated that under Islamic Sharia and Hanafi jurisprudence, fathers and grandfathers have guardianship and authority over their minor children, provided that they are kind, have no history of cruelty, are free from mental disorders, are not addicted to narcotics, and do not make decisions regarding their children because of poverty.
Mujahid further said that the ruling does not mean granting unrestricted permission to people, but was issued to create ease for the country’s courts so judges can make decisions more easily in such cases.
He stressed that the Supreme Leader has separately ordered that marrying off a girl without her consent is prohibited.
Mujahid added that only in the past year, thousands of cases of forced marriages involving girls were addressed in the courts of the Islamic Emirate and through the complaint-hearing department of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which he said shows the Islamic Emirate’s attention to women’s rights.
The remarks come after the Ministry of Justice recently published the marriage separation regulation. Some circles criticized the regulation, claiming that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan had allowed or facilitated the marriage of underage girls.
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