Afghanistan's Ghani says releasing Taliban prisoners might pose threat but 'necessary'

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said on August 14 that releasing the Taliban terrorists by the government might pose a serious threat to the world but their release was necessary for peace in the region. As per the state media reports, Ghani made the statements during a conversation with the Council on Foreign Relations. The conversation was hosted by James B Cunningham, a senior fellow of the Atlantic Council and former US ambassador to Afghanistan.

READ: Afghanistan Government Releases 80 Out Of 400 Remaining Taliban Prisoners

Government agrees to release prisoners

The President's remarks comes a day after the Afghan government agreed to release 400 Taliban prisoners by releasing 80 of them in the initial phase. The move is relied upon to open the route for intra-Afghan negotiations, as per reports. 

News agency ANI quoted Ghani saying, "The list is likely to pose a danger both to us and to you and to the world because it is the drug dealers and hardened criminals--that has been shared with all our allies and friends--but again this is a step that we have considered necessary". 

"Until now, there has been a lot of pressure, requests from the Afghan government," Ghani said. "Now the balance shifts because we have taken all the risks because we are a state. We were not party to an agreement to release 5,000 Taliban but out of the imperative of wanting peace in the conviction, we did it", he added.

According to the reports, the Afghan assembly cofirmed the release of  400 Taliban prisoners as part of efforts to begin intra-Afghan talks. With the release of this final batch of prisoners, peace talks between the Aghan government and the Taliban can begin as early as next week. 

READ: Afghanistan Signs Decree To Release 400 Taliban Prisoners To Initiate Peace Talks

As per reports, August 20 has been suggested by several Afghan leaders as a possible start date for the peace talks. Previously, the Taliban had said they would sit down for peace talks in Qatar. According to the agreement between the United States and the Taliban, the US would drastically reduce the number of troops it had in Afghanistan and the Afghan government would release 5,000 Taliban prisoners while the Taliban had agreed to release 1,000 Afghan soldiers and government officials.

READ: Afghanistan Govt Agrees To Release 400 Taliban Prisoners To Start Peace Talks

READ: Taliban Says Ready To Start Peace Talks Within A Week Of Prisoners' Release