Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday said that the government had fulfilled all its commitments required by the peace process with the Taliban, adding that the release of Taliban prisoners was a clear demonstration of the government's commitment to peace
KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd September, 2020) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday said that the government had fulfilled all its commitments required by the peace process with the Taliban, adding that the release of Taliban prisoners was a clear demonstration of the government's commitment to peace.
The remarks were made at a president's meeting with the Afghan government's peace negotiation team earlier on Wednesday ahead of the anticipated talks with the Taliban.
"The Afghan government has shown its determination in the peace process, because the release of Taliban prisoners was not an easy decision and you represent the aspirations of the Afghan people to achieve peace," the president said.
Earlier in the day, Fraidoon Khawzoon, the spokesman for the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, told Sputnik that the Afghan government was planning to release all remaining Taliban prisoners on Wednesday.
Later in the day, a source in the presidential palace told Sputnik that the technical team of the Afghan government has already arrived in Doha for talks with the Taliban, and the delegation itself is expected to arrive on Thursday.
In August, Ghani signed a decree to free the remaining 400 prisoners, approved by the Consultative Loya Jirga council of tribal leaders, which authorized the government to take action to speed up the peace efforts, start face-to-face talks as soon as possible and establish a permanent and universal ceasefire.
Abdullah said last week that the talks would begin in the first week of September, but the Taliban movement did not back this. The release of prisoners on both sides is a precondition for peace talks, which was initially agreed upon by the Taliban and the United States in February.
