Afghan Peace Deal: Ashraf Ghani agrees to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners to initiate talk

After an initial denial, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will sign a decree to release 1,500 prisoned Taliban fighters, as a part of the historic Doha agreement. The prisoner release will be the first move towards initiating intra-Afghan dialogue to put an end to the 18-year-old US war on terror. 

Late on March 10, Afghan President's spokesperson announced, "President Ghani has signed the decree that would facilitate the release of the Taliban prisoners in accordance with an accepted framework for the start of negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government." The decree said that the prisoner release will begin in the next four days. 

The agreement, which will initially see 100 prisoners freed each day, will depend on the Taliban's willingness to significantly limit attacks in the country, he added. The announcement came hours after the US said its forces had started pulling out of two bases in Afghanistan, in line with a deal signed between Washington and the Taliban in Doha last month aiming to end America's longest war.

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Diplomats from the Afghanistan, United States, India, Pakistan and other members of the United Nations gathered alongside the Taliban representatives in Doha's Sheraton Hotel on February 29. On Tuesday, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen notified that the armed group had handed a list of 5,000 prisoners to the US and was waiting for all to be released, as a part of the prison exchange agreement. 

"If our 5,000 prisoners - 100 or 200 more or less does not matter, do not get released there will be no intra-Afghan talks," Afghan media said quoting the Taliban. The US and Taliban representatives negotiated for almost 18 months in Doha, before signing the peace deal under multiple conditions. 

Ghani's previous denial 

The friction within the peace deal flared up on March 2 after the Afghan President declared that his government has not agreed to the prison swap with the Talibani prisoners. "The government of Afghanistan has made no commitment to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners. It is not in the authority of the United States to decide, they are only a facilitator" Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told reporters in Kabul.

Subsequently, the Taliban had refused to participate in the intra-Afghan talks until the release of all 5000 prisoners. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaking about the peace deal said that all contents in the agreement are 'conditions-based'. Last week, in Afghanistan, the country's former chief executive  Abdullah Abdullah held a parallel inauguration to Ghani declaring himself the President. Refusing to accept Ghani's Presidency, Abdullah also refused the power-sharing deal offered to him a day ago. 

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