Afghan president rejects Taliban’s precondition for initiating intra-Afghan talks

Kabul|2020-03-1 Tuesday(Xinhua)

 Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has refused the Taliban outfit’s demand for the release of 5,000 detainees within 10 days, saying no precondition is acceptable for initiating intra-Afghan talks.

“No commitment has been made for the release of 5,000 prisoners. This could be included at the agenda of the talks with the Taliban and if anyone released should not take arm against the people of Afghanistan,” Ghani told reporters at the Presidential Palace a day after the inking of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal at a ceremony held in Qatar’s Doha on Saturday.

A Taliban senior representative at the group’s liaison office in Doha, Sher Mohammad Abas Stanikzai said on Saturday that the “Kabul administration should release 5,000 inmates within 10 days” as a precondition for initiating intra-Afghan dialogue.

“The release of the Taliban detainees is within the authority of the government of Afghanistan and not with the United States, and we have no agreement with America in this field,” Ghani said.

The Afghan president also noted that his government would spare no effort to ensure the restoration of lasting peace in Afghanistan and safeguard all the achievements and values including the rights of women achieved over the past 19 years.

Following rounds of talks between the United States and the Taliban, which lasted about 18 months, the two sides inked an agreement in Doha on Saturday that underlines the United States to reduce its forces to 8,600 from the current 13,000-strong force within 135 days of signing the deal.

The United States and allied would proportionally reduce their military strength in Afghanistan if the Taliban comply with the agreement and reduce the violent to the level of ceasefire.

Afghan president also expressed hope that the so-called reduction in violence should turned into ceasefire across the country to pave the way for returning viable peace in Afghanistan.

The withdrawal of all the U.S.-led coalition forces would take 14 months if the Taliban adhere to the agreement and avoid committing violence in the country, both the U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told at a joint press conference with president Ghani here on Saturday.