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Business News/ News / World/  Taliban, Afghan govt in talks on prisoner release to break peace process logjam
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Taliban, Afghan govt in talks on prisoner release to break peace process logjam

The US and Taliban had signed a pact in February that would allow Washington to withdraw its troops from the country
  • The release of Taliban prisoners was a key element of the peace deal
  • Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, leader of Taliban delegation, and Zalmay Khalilzad, US envoy for peace in Afghanistan, after the signing of the deal. (Photo: Reuters) (Photo: Reuters)Premium
    Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, leader of Taliban delegation, and Zalmay Khalilzad, US envoy for peace in Afghanistan, after the signing of the deal. (Photo: Reuters) (Photo: Reuters)

    NEW DELHI: The Afghan government and the Taliban have held talks on possible prisoner exchange, disagreement over which has hampered the start of the intra-Afghan dialogue - the crucial next step in the peace process.

    The release of Taliban prisoners was a key element of the February peace deal signed between the US and the rebel group.

    US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen confirmed the developments in separate Twitter posts early on Monday.

    "The US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing" late Sunday, Khalilzad said in a series of posts.

    “As stated in the US-Taliban agreement, the release of prisoners from both sides is an important step in the peace process. And for humanitarian reasons it is very important," he said in a second post.

    “The technical debate was important, serious, and detailed for more than two hours today. I welcome you from all sides. Everyone knows clearly that the threat of Coronavirus makes the release of prisoners urgent," he said.

    “All sides reaffirmed their firm commitment to reducing violence, inter-Afghan negotiations, and a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire. We also agreed on the next technical meeting in the next couple of days," he added.

    Shaheen, the Taliban’s Qatar-based spokesman, clarified in his Twitter posts that “the talks solely centered on prisoners release for which the two teams are formed."

    “Other issues will be dealt with during the intra-Afghan negotiations," he said in a possible reference to potential power sharing arrangement with the Afghan government.

    The US and the Taliban had signed a pact on 29 February that would allow Washington to bring down troop numbers ahead of the November elections in the US to 8,600 from 12,000-13,000.

    One of President Donald Trump’s key poll promises in 2016 was to bring back US troops stationed abroad. A key provision of the 29 February pact was the release of some 5,000 Taliban prisoners by the Afghan government before the Taliban and the Ashraf Ghani administration in Kabul started intra-Afghan talks on a possible power sharing arrangement. The Taliban on its part was to release 1,000 Afghan detainees.

    President Ghani, however, said that he was prepared to release only 1,500 Taliban prisoners at first and as the intra-Afghan talks progressed would release the others – a proposal the Taliban rejected. Sunday’s talks were aimed at breaking this logjam.

    Responding to an emailed query from Mint, Taliban spokesman Shaheen said Kabul would have to abide by the agreement reached with the US in February ie agree to the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners.

    Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Kabul on Monday in the backdrop of Ghani and his main political rival Abdullah Abdullah both declaring themselves Afghanistan’s president in parallel inauguration ceremonies earlier this month.

    “President Ghani met with the U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Mike Pompeo today. Both sides talked about the Afghan peace process and the next steps, a regional consensus on Afghan peace and on current political and security issues," Sediq Sediqqui, spokesman for Ghani said in a Twitter post.

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    Published: 23 Mar 2020, 12:10 PM IST
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