There is no commitment on the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners – Afghan president after US deal
by RT
There is no commitment on the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners – Afghan president after US deal
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said that releasing up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners cannot be considered a pre-condition of peace talks. His statement comes a day after the Taliban signed a peace deal with the US.
The release of the militants cannot be considered a pre-condition, rather it “can be part of the negotiations,” Ghani said on Sunday, as cited by TOLO News. The Afghan leader confirmed that the US is facilitating the prisoners’ release but it is ultimately up to Kabul to “decide on it.”
The US-Taliban deal says that Washington will work with all sides on a prisoner swap as a confidence-building step. According to the plan, the US with the Afghan government and the Taliban would free up to 5,000 and 1,000 people respectively by March 10, which is set as the first day of peace talks between the Taliban and Kabul.
