Afghan govt refuses to release dangerous Taliban prisoners

KABUL, JULY 9th: The Afghan government’s refusal to release 600 “extremely dangerous” Taliban prisoners is a strong message from the Afghan Taliban. According to reports, Hundreds of Taliban prisoners considered dangerous will not be released.

Meanwhile, violence has gripped the war-torn country, where a suicide bomber killed three security personnel near the governor’s residence and police headquarters in Kandahar Province.

According to sources, the peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban promised to exchange 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the release of 1,000 Afghan security forces prisoners.

However, National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Javed Faisal said that “serious criminal cases” were still pending against the 600 Taliban prisoners who had been asked to be released.

Another government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the charges included murder, highway robbery and even child abuse, as well as hundreds of foreign fighters. “It is very dangerous to release them,” the official said.

The Afghan Taliban have accused the government of fabricating criminal cases against detainees. The Afghan Taliban have also said they dislike the Kabul administration’s breach of promises and will respond in due course.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said: “If they continue to create more problems, it shows that they do not want things to be better.”

However, National Security Council spokesman Javed Faisal stressed that the government is committed to negotiations. “We are ready for peace and will release the remaining prisoners as per the agreement, not just those against whom the courts have serious criminal cases.

The two sides have vowed to hold direct talks to end the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan once the prisoner exchange is completed.

The government has already released more than 4,000 Afghan Taliban prisoners, while the insurgents have completed about two-thirds of their release. Earlier this week, a senior Afghan official said it was up to the authorities to decide who was released.

“We don’t expect the Taliban to tell us which prisoners to release,” said Siddique Siddiqui, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani.