Ghani’s govt holds talks with Taliban in Kabul on prisoner swap
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed the recent announcement by the Afghan leadership regarding the formation of a negotiation team for the much-awaited intra-Afghan dialogue.
In a statement, the Foreign Office hoped the formation of official team by Afghan government would pave the way towards the commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations process.
"Pakistan believes it is an important step reflecting commitment of the leadership to according priority to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan," the statement said.
It added that the US-Taliban Peace Agreement has provided a historic opportunity to establish durable peace and stability in Afghanistan, which can be realised by resolving differences, eschewing recrimination, working constructively together, and cooperating in the supreme interest of the country.
"We hope that all the parties concerned will pursue reduction in violence as a common cause in its earnest," the statement noted.
It further said Pakistan would continue to support a peaceful, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbours.
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Meanwhile in Kabul, the Afghan government representatives have met with the Taliban in Kabul for the first time to discuss a prisoner swap aimed at jump-starting a floundering peace process, officials said on Wednesday.
The two sides met Tuesday and again for several hours Wednesday in talks being observed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Afghanistan's Office of the National Security Council said on Twitter.
"The two sides held face-to-face negotiations about the release of Afghan National Defense and Security Force personnel as well as Taliban prisoners," the security council said.
It was the first time the hardline Islamists had been invited to the Afghan capital to meet directly with government officials since they were toppled in the US-led invasion of 2001.
The two sides had spoken previously in a videoconference to discuss the prisoner issue.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP that a "technical team" was in Kabul purely to facilitate the prisoner swap, and not for additional negotiations.
"The prisoners to be released should be those whose names are on the list... that is why our technical team is there... it is not a negotiation, and there will be no political talks there", Mujahid said.
Two Taliban sources -- one from the group's leadership council and the other from their political office in Doha -- told AFP the three-member Taliban delegation travelled from Quetta in Pakistan to Kandahar late Monday, and then flew to Kabul.
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The Doha source said there was still some dispute over the initial prisoner release numbers.
If the two sides can reach an agreement, the release would begin Saturday, the source said.
And on Wednesday, a roadside bomb killed at least seven civilians including six children in southern Helmand province. Authorities blamed the blast on the Taliban.
With additional input from AFP
