KABUL, Apr 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Talks between the Taliban outfit and Afghan government, to exchange their prisoners have been disrupted, as the armed group announced to stop meeting the opposite side.
“But, unfortunately, the release of prisoners has been delayed under one pretext or another till now. Therefore, our technical team will not participate in fruitless meetings with relevant sides starting from tomorrow (today),” a Taliban Spokesman, Suhail Saheen, said.
The release of 5,000 Taliban detainees and 1,000 Afghan government forces is part of a peace deal inked between the Taliban and the United States, signed in Qatari capital Doha on Feb 29.
Under the agreement, the United States ends its longest war in its history, withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan and facilitates the intra-Afghan dialogue, to find political salutation to the war-torn country.
In line with the agreement, a three-member Taliban delegation is in Afghanistan since last week, to secure the release of the group’s fighters from Afghan government jails.
“We sent a technical team to Kabul for the verification and identification of our prisoners, to secure their release, as per the agreement reached with the United States, but Kabul is delaying the release,” Shaheen said.
However, a Presidential Palace Spokesman, Latif Mahmoud, rejected the Taliban claim as baseless, saying, the Afghan government has taken all essential steps to “ensure the release of the detainees.” and now it is the Taliban’s turn to response positively.
A government official Abdul Matin Big, also said the Taliban group has been demanding the release of 15 key commanders, who are notorious for their involvement in subversive activities and their release would contribute to increase in violence.
The Afghan government expressed readiness to set free 100 Taliban prisoners everyday, if the militant group agrees to observe ceasefire.
Expressing anger over the delay of prisoners swap, the Taliban outfit said, the “peace deal inked on Feb 29, has been violated by the United States.
Taliban Spokesman, Shaheen, said, the armed group reduced its attacks on Afghan government forces since inking the peace deal, but the Afghan government and the U.S. military continue to attack Taliban-held areas and the Taliban fighters.– NNN-AGENCIES
