Afghan President refuses to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners after peace deal

While United States promised Taliban to release 5,000 prisoners of militant group, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has rejected demand on March 1 as condition for intra-Afghan talks. Ghani's statement reportedly came against backdrop of struggles faced by American negotiators in steering Kabul ministration and Taliban towards peace talks. After countless meetings when US and Taliban finally signed accord, Ghani has said that partial truce will continue “with goal” of reaching a full ceasefire but declined to release Taliban prisoners and cited “right and self-will” of Afghan citizens.

Ghani said, “re is commitment to releasing 5,000 prisoners. This is right and self-will of people of Afghanistan. It could be included in nda of intra-Afghan talks, but cant be a prerequisite for talks”. 

According to international reports, agreement says that US and Taliban were committed to working towards release of combat and political prisoners as a confidence-building measure with coordination of all relevant sides. agreement h also said that in exchange of freeing 5,000 jailed Taliban personnel, it would release 1,000 Afghan government captives on March 10. However, Afghan President has w claimed that “it is t in authority of United States to decide” and also called Washington “only a facilitator”. 

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US signed a landmark deal with Taliban on February 29 which laid out timetable for America's full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan within period of 14 months marking US' exit from its longest war. According to international reports, accord is expected to le way for a dialogue between Taliban and Afghanistan government, and if it turns out successful, it would end an 18-year-long conflict. 

deal was signed in a conference room of luxury Doha hotel, with Taliban fighter-turned-dealmaker, Mullah Barar alongside Washington's chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilz and US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Reportedly, as Barar and Khalilz finally inked accord, people in room shouted, “Allahu Akbar”. Before that Pompeo h also urged insurgents to “keep your promises to cut ties with Al-Qaeda”. 

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Embrace a new future: Trump

According to international reports, US President Donald Trump urged citizens of Afghanistan to embrace chance for a new future. He furr ded that if both Taliban and Kabul's government man to “live up to se commitments”, y will have a “powerful path" forward in order to end war in country and bring American troops “home”. However, Afghanistan which has been excluded from direct US-Taliban talks remained in an unclear position while also being gripped by a fresh political crisis and contested election results. 

But, US Secretary of Defence, Mark T Esper also met with Afghanistan's re-elected President Ashraf Ghani and according to joint statement issued, y both discussed “progress in peace process” after successful implementation of reduction in violence. Furrmore, Washington has reaffirmed its commitment with partners at Afghanistan as conditions-based US-Taliban agreement is implemented. According to official website, Esper and Ghani agreed that US-Taliban peace deal marks start of achieving a “lasting peace for Afghan people, and security and stability in Afghanistan”. 

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(With ncy inputs)