KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2020) All preparations have been made by Kabul to launch intra-Afghan talks, but it is not yet clear where the talks will take place, Dawakhan Minapal, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan presidential palace, said on Monday.
After the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in May, the Taliban have changed their war strategy and are in the midst of an unannounced ceasefire. In response to the movement's decision, the Afghan government has committed to freeing 2,000 Taliban prisoners.
"The government has taken practical steps for a dignified and lasting peace, the announcement of a negotiating team, the formation of a reconciliation council, and the government is fully prepared to start negotiations, discussions are ongoing on where and when the talks will take place," Minapal said.
Meanwhile, Najia Anwari, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Peace, said that details of the start of the peace talks were being worked out.
"The government has made the necessary preparations for talks with the Taliban, and the necessary steps have been taken in this regard," Anwari said in a video sent to media.
The Taliban movement, for its part, has assured that it is fully prepared for the start of intra-Afghan talks, noting that the government must release all prisoners promised under a peace deal negotiated with the mediation of the United States earlier this year in the Qatari capital of Doha � up to 5,000.
"So far, a total of 2284 prisoners of the Islamic Emirate have been released� from prisons of the Kabul Administration. Claim of� having released� more prisoners of ours than that as announced by officials of the Kabul Administration� is not true," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the government said it already released about 2,700 Taliban prisoners and was likely to continue the process.
According to the Taliban, they have so far released 420 Afghan prisoners, and they will not release the rest of 1,000 Afghan prisoners, which is set by the peace deal, until the government releases 5,000 of the movement members.
The exchange of prisoners, ceasefire and launch of intra-Afghan talks � as components of a peace deal negotiated with the mediation of the United States earlier this year � are expected to pave the way for ending the almost two-decade long confrontation between Kabul and the Taliban.
