ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced his government would soon complete the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, thus paving the way for the start of long sought-after peace negotiations with the insurgent group.
“With this action, we look forward to the start of direct negotiations with the Taliban in a week’s time. We call on the Taliban to join us at the negotiating table and to conclude promptly a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” he said, adding that a Taliban commitment to a ceasefire during the upcoming Muslim holy festival of Eid will be “an indication of things to come.”
Almost on cue, soon after the end of his speech, the Taliban announced a ceasefire for the “three days and three nights of Eid-al-Adha” expected to start late Thursday or early Friday.
The two announcements came at a time when Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation was on his way to Kabul.
The intra-Afghan negotiations were supposed to take place in March, 10 days after the U.S. signed a landmark deal with Taliban. They have since stalled multiple times over the high level of violence that Afghan government blamed on the Taliban and the reluctance of the government to release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners, as stipulated in the U.S-Taliban deal. The agreement had also called on the Taliban to free up to 1,000 members of the Afghan security forces.