Pakistan welcomes Afghan Jirga’s advice to release Taliban prisoners

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today (Sunday) has welcomed the Afghan Loya Jirga’s announcement to release the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners.

According to a statement issued by Foreign Office, Pakistan hopes that with the implementation of this step relating to the prisoners’ release, as envisaged in the US-Taliban Peace Agreement, the Intra-Afghan negotiations will commence at the earliest.

The Foreign Office spokesperson said, “Pakistan has repeatedly emphasized that the Afghan leaders must seize this historic opportunity and work together constructively through Intra-Afghan negotiations to secure a comprehensive, broad-based and inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.”

The spokesperson also said, “The international community must also reinforce its support for the success of Intra-Afghan negotiations for sustained and durable peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

 “For its part, Pakistan has consistently supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan reaffirms its support for a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbours.

Earlier today (Sunday), the traditional Afghan Council, comprising thousands of prominent Afghans, agreed to releasing 400 Taliban prisoners, paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghan government and Taliban.

Jirga member Atefa Tayeb said, “In order to remove the hurdles for the start of peace talks, stopping bloodshed, and for the good of the public, the jirga approves the release of 400 prisoners as demanded by the Taliban.”

The resolution was passed at the end of a three-day ‘Loya Jirga’. The declaration calls for an immediate start to negotiations and cease-fire. The development looks to bring United States a little closer to returning its troops and ending its longest military engagement.