Taliban say conditional prisoner release order by Afghan govt against deal with US

Published March 11, 2020
Suhail Shaheen, 
a spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban. — AP/File
Suhail Shaheen, a spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban. — AP/File

A spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban on Wednesday termed the decree signed by President Ashraf Ghani to facilitate the release of some Taliban prisoners in Afghan jails as "conditional", saying the release order went against the agreement signed between the militant group and the US last month.

Sediq Seddiqi, spokesperson for the Afghan president, said in a tweet that Ghani had signed the decree that would facilitate the release of some Taliban prisoners in accordance with an accepted framework for the start of negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

At least 1,000 Taliban prisoners are expected to be released this week, five official sources said earlier, paving the way for opening direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Seddiqi also hinted that Kabul would consider releasing 5,000 prisoners if the Taliban refrained from attacks on Afghan forces.

Responding to the announcement of the decree, Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban in Doha, told Reuters by phone that "it is properly explained in the peace accord that first 5,000 prisoners would be freed and then the Afghan dialogue would be initiated.

"We never agreed to any conditional release of the prisoners. If someone claims this, it will be against the peace accord that we signed on February 29," he added.

Read: US and Afghan Taliban sign historic troop withdrawal deal in Doha

The development comes almost two weeks after the Taliban and US signed a deal for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. One of the clauses in the agreement called for the Taliban to release up to 1,000 prisoners and for the Afghan government to release up to 5,000 insurgent captives.

However, it looked like the deal was about to fall apart a few days after it was signed as President Ghani announced on March 1 that the Afghan government had made no commitment to release the prisoners. The Taliban reacted by saying they would not participate in intra-Afghan talks unless the prisoners were released.

Attacks started again as the Taliban ordered fighters to resume operations against Afghan forces just two days after the signing of the accord.

However, on Monday, Ghani announced that a mechanism for the release of Taliban prisoners had been reached and a presidential decree would be issued in this regard. His remarks came after he took oath as president for another five-year term.

Must Read

The perils of saying ‘no’

The perils of saying ‘no’

‘No’ is more than a complete sentence, for women, it is a complex syntax that has been perfected by navigating a complicated web — body language, tone, eye contact, walk, clothes, and even a smile.

Opinion

Editorial

Lack of direction
Updated 12 Jun, 2025

Lack of direction

Few believe that a govt desperate to grow the economy can actually pull it off, as the dynamism required is not visible.
Taxing e-commerce
12 Jun, 2025

Taxing e-commerce

FOR the first time, the government has the digital economy in its crosshairs. With a slew of new measures proposed ...
Kashmir mediation
12 Jun, 2025

Kashmir mediation

ONE of the noteworthy outcomes of last month’s limited clashes between Pakistan and India is that the Kashmir ...
Ambitious goals
Updated 11 Jun, 2025

Ambitious goals

There is not much in the budget to give hope for such a structural shift
Battlefield LA
11 Jun, 2025

Battlefield LA

THE disturbing scenes emerging from Los Angeles, one of America’s richest cities, resemble the chaotic events ...
Road to stardom
Updated 11 Jun, 2025

Road to stardom

Sana has earned her place for not just her achievements on the pitch but also her role off it.