ISLAMABAD – The Taliban Wednesday rejected an Afghan government order thatallows for the conditional release of thousands of insurgent prisoners,calling Kabul’s move a violation of the accord the Taliban recently signedwith the United States.
“It is clearly stated in the text of the (U.S.-Taliban) agreement that allof our 5,000 prisoners would be freed unconditionally and before thecommencement of intra-Afghan peace negotiations,” Taliban spokesman SuhailShaheen told VOA.
The insurgent group is also bound to free from its custody 1,000 detainees,mostly Afghan security forces, according to the deal.[image: FILE – Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen is seen during talks in theQatari capital Doha, July 7, 2019.].
“Now, if they (the Afghan government) do not want to release those 5,000inmates they are certainly blocking the way to opening intra-Afghan talks,”said Shaheen, who spoke by phone from the group’s political office inQatar, where the U.S.-Taliban pact was sealed on Feb. 29.
Hours earlier, President Ashraf Ghani ordered a phased release ofimprisoned Taliban fighters starting Saturday. The decree called forfreeing a batch of 1,500 Taliban prisoners, 100 a day, after receivingwritten guarantees from each of them that they will not return to thebattlefield.
The remaining 3,500 prisoners will be released in groups of 500 every twoweeks after the commencement of direct talks between Taliban and Afghangovernment-appointed teams of negotiators.
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Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi emphasized at a news conference inKabul that the prisoner release was conditioned on a reduction in Talibanviolence, opening of intra-Afghan talks and a cease-fire.
“If (the) Taliban wants release of 5,000 prisoners they will have to stopthe fighting,” Sediqqi said. The prisoner release process will be stoppedif insurgent violence persisted, he cautioned.
Shaheen, while speaking to VOA on Wednesday, also outlined the agenda forthe intra-Afghan negotiations and when they begin. “
Those negotiations will be about issues such as the formation of a futureIslamic government or system in the country, constitutional reforms andreforming (Afghan) security institutions and a permanent cease-fire,” saidthe Taliban spokesman.
