Release of Prisoners can be Part of Negotiations: Ghani
A day after the US-Taliban deal signed, President Ashraf Ghani says that the Afghan government has given no commitments to releasing prisoners, adding that the negotiating delegation will represent the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
A day after the US-Taliban deal signed, President Ashraf Ghani says that the Afghan government has given no commitments to releasing prisoners, adding that the negotiating delegation will represent the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Attending a press conference in Kabul on Sunday, President Ghani said that there are no commitments for releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the Afghan government considers this as its own authority to negotiate prisoners in the peace process.
“The Afghan people should have confidence that one who is released will not take arms and stand up against the Afghan people,” said President Ghani. Stressing that “the release of prisoners is the authority of Afghan government and this has repeatedly been stated to US officials”.
On US-Taliban talks, he added that “talks between US and Taliban are limited, talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government will be wide”.
“On behalf of the Afghan government, I assure my esteemed people that I will make every effort to maintain lasting peace and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” he said.
“We and the international community believe that the threat of terrorism is long-term. The release of prisoners is the authority of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, not the United States, the US is a facilitator,”
He called on the Taliban to compete in the political arena if they consider themselves as representatives of the Afghan people.
“Where is the address of Mullah Hibatullah and why he does not come to answer the journalists’ questions,” he asked.
Mr. Ghani underlined that as president of Afghanistan he cannot give up the rights of women, children and achievements of the last two decades and the saying that a woman cannot be an ambassador or a minister is unacceptable.
