The Taliban and the Afghan government said on Wednesday they their technical teams have held talks on the release of prisoners in their first face-to-face contacts in years.
Office of the National Security Council Spokesperson Javid Faisal said the Afghan government “hosted” a Taliban delegation in Kabul on Tuesday.
“They held face-to-face discussions on the release of ANDSF (Afghan National Defence and Security Forces) personnel and Taliban prisoners. The two sides agreed to continue the talks,” Faisal said in a twitter post.
He said representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) observed the negotiations.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the talks were useful and the process of release of prisoners could start in three days.
Meanwhile Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said a 3-member technical team of the Taliban’s prisoners’ commission is to verify and identify the Taliban prisoners prior to release in coordination with technical team of the Kabul Administration.
Shaheen tweeted that the Taliban team is being hosted by the embassy of Qatar in Kabul.
The ICRC has participation in the meetings for the conduct and fulfillment of other prisoners’ related matters.
This is the first time the Taliban and the Afghan government held talks since the Taliban government was toppled by the US military in 2001.
Earlier both sides held three rounds of videoconference on the prisoners issue that was facilitated by the US and Qatar.
A total of 5000 Taliban detainees were scheduled to be released by March 10 and Taliban would also free 1000 prisoners of the other side in accordance with the Taliban-US agreement.
Although Kabul and Taliban held talks on prisoners, the process has assumed importance ahead of the intra-Afghan dialogue that will discuss the future political roadmap.
The talks were scheduled for March 10 but the process could not start after the Afghan government refused to free the Taliban prisoners before March 10.
Afghan government has formed a 21-member delegation for the intra-Afghan dialogue. Former intelligence chief Masoom Stanekzai will lead the delegation.
Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed the formation of a negotiation team and hoped it will pave the way for the start of intra-Afghan dialogue.
“Pakistan welcomes the recent announcement by Afghan leadership on formation of negotiation team, which should pave the way towards the commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations process,” spokesperson of the Foreign Office Aisha Farooqui said.
She said in a statement Pakistan believes it is an important step reflecting commitment of the leadership to according priority to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
“The US-Taliban Peace Agreement has provided a historic opportunity to establish durable peace and stability in Afghanistan, which can be realized by resolving differences, eschewing recrimination, working constructively together, and cooperating in the supreme interest of the country,” the spokesperson said.
She said Pakistan hopes that all concerned parties will pursue reduction in violence as a common cause in its earnest, adding Pakistan will continue to support a peaceful, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbors.
