Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani To Release Many Taliban Prisoners As Part Of US-Taliban Peace Deal Terms

In a major development in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday (10 March) signed a decree which would facilitate the release of Taliban prisoners as part of a peace deal negotiated between the United States (US) and the Taliban last month, reports Asian News International (ANI).

President Ghani's spokesperson informed the media persons that the decision has been taken in accordance with an accepted framework to mark the beginning of negotiations between the Taliban and the Government of Afghanistan.

The development comes just the day after President Ghani had been sworn into power. This comes despite President Ghani having previously rejected the demand for the release of the Taliban prisoners.

The said framework for talks to begin between the two parties had been set in the peace deal signed between the US and the Taliban in Qatar on 29 February which would also pave the way for the US and other foreign powers to call back their deployed forces from the war-torn nation over the next 14 months.