KABUL – The Taliban militant group has given a list of 82 prisoners – to beexchanged with two foreign university professors – to the U.S. SpecialEnvoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation.
Wahid Muzhda, a pro-Taliban political analyst on Thursday told Ariana Newsthat the list includes key members of the group including designatedgovernors, war commanders, and two key members of the Haqqani Network, AnasHaqqani and Hafiz Rashid, who are kept in Bagram, Pul-e-Charkhi and AfghanIntelligence agency prisons, Ariana News has reported .
Kevin King and Timothy Weeks from Australia were teaching at Kabul’sAmerican University of Afghanistan (AUAF) before gunmen took them hostagenear the campus in August 2016.
Meanwhile, government sources said the U.S. chief negotiator ZalmayKhalilzad has told Afghan leaders that releasing of these inmates willfacilitate the resumption of Afghan peace process including theintra-Afghan talks.
Recently, the Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib saidKhalilzad discussed the release of two professors during his latest visitto Kabul.
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Mohib further explained President Ashraf Ghani’s new plan for peace thatrequires Taliban to announce at least a month of ceasefire before the startof any negotiations.
For the past couple of years, the government was ready for negotiationswith the Taliban without any pre-condition and that has changed now, headded.
