Afghanistan's Reconciliation Council Chairman Abdullah Abdullah said during a meeting with the Consultative Loya Jirga council of tribal leaders on Monday that the Taliban radical movement was in no position to further impede the bilateral talks with Kabul, after the authorities committed to releasing remaining Taliban prisoners
KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2020) Afghanistan's Reconciliation Council Chairman Abdullah Abdullah said during a meeting with the Consultative Loya Jirga council of tribal leaders on Monday that the Taliban radical movement was in no position to further impede the bilateral talks with Kabul, after the authorities committed to releasing remaining Taliban prisoners.
Last week, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani signed a decree to free remaining 400 prisoners, approved by the Loya Jirga, which authorized the government to take action to speed up peace efforts, start face-to-face talks as soon as possible and establish a permanent and universal ceasefire. On Friday, the Office of the National Security Council said the authorities have started to release the remaining Taliban prisoners, with 80 of them being already free.
"The government and people of Afghanistan have shown their goodwill towards peace. Now, the Taliban must move beyond excuses and accept peace talks," Abdullah said.
On February 29, the United States and the Taliban movement signed a peace deal in the Qatari capital of Doha, stipulating the beginning of intra-Afghan negotiations, as well as prisoner exchanges. Initially, the Taliban and the Kabul government did not show much inclination to negotiate with each other, however, the prisoner exchanges have been taking place over the past few months.
Despite not being an official decision-making body, Loya Jirga is an ancient social institution, considered to be the highest expression of the people's will, especially when it comes to consequential political decisions. The intra-Afghan talks are now expected to pave the way for a peace process and withdrawal of foreign troops after almost two decades of war and insurgency.
