Afghan government says almost all Taliban prisoners freed

Kabul: The Afghan government has announced that It has released almost all Taliban Prisoners. According to reports, Afghan authorities said on Thursday that they expect direct talks to start soon after they released the inmates they had been detaining.

“The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has received our commandos held hostage by Taliban, after which the Gov’t released the remaining 400 convicts, except the few for which our partners have reservations,” National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal said on Twitter.

“Diplomatic efforts are ongoing. We expect direct talks to start promptly.”

A drawn-out contentious release of hundreds of hardened militants has delayed the start of planned negotiations between the two warring sides, scheduled to take place in the Qatari capital, Doha.

A Taliban source confirmed the prisoners had been freed and that those opposed by France and Australia were still in the Afghan government custody.

Najia Anwari, spokeswoman for the State Ministry for Peace Affairs, has called for the start of direct talks with the Taliban. The date for talks to start is yet to be fixed.

“The Afghan government has removed all the obstacles for the direct talks to start,” said Anwari. “The negotiation team of the Islamic republic is now in full preparation to attend the talks.”

Officials said the government-backed negotiating team was heading to Doha later on Wednesday.

The Afghan government earlier this week resumed the release of Taliban captives after days of vacillating because they had been involved in serious crimes.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday that Kabul had “fulfilled all its commitments.”

“The release of Taliban prisoners is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to peace,” Ghani said.

Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga, or grand assembly of elders, had earlier approved the release of 400 imprisoned Taliban militants who had been involved in serious crimes in Afghanistan and whom the Afghan government was hesitant to release.

The prisoner swap, part of a deal between the Taliban and the United States, was considered a prelude to peace talks between the militants and Kabul.