KABUL (Agencies): Afghan government officials held a video conference on Sunday with Taliban delegates to discuss technical details of a prisoner release that is a part of the peace deal signed last month.
The first announcement about the video conference came from US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in a series of Twitter posts, saying: “Today, the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing.”
“Prisoner releases by both sides is an important step in the peace process, as stated in the US-Taliban agreement. And critical for humanitarian reasons,” he said. According to Khal-ilzad, the videoconference continued for two hours and that it was “important, serious and detailed.”
“All sides conveyed their strong commitment to a reduction of violence, intra-Afghan negotiations, and a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire,” Khalilzad tweeted. “We have also agreed to a follow-on technical meeting in the next two days.”
The New York Times reports that attendants were dialed in from five locations in the videoconference.
“In this videoconference, reduction in violence, permanent ceasefire, peace negotiations and technical steps were discussed in order to facilitate the release of (Taliban) prisoners,” said Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for the National Security Council.
National Security Advisor Mohib in a tweet on Sunday said “all emphasized the importance of a reduction in violence, direct negotiations, and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” referring to the videoconference.
“During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on initial technical steps required to pave the way forward on prisoner releases. US and Qatari representatives were also present,” he added.
The Taliban spokesman in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, said the discussion was f-ocused on the details of the prisoners’ release. “The d-iscussion was only about t-he prisoners’ release for w-hich the technical teams ha-ve been assigned,” he said.
“The Taliban are still insisting on their previous stance on the release of prisoners and the Afghan government has the concern that if they release 5,000 prisoners, the Taliban will ask for the release of more prisoners,” said Sami Yousafzai, a freelance journalist. Sources close to the Taliban said the delegates from the Afghan government were those who went to Qatar last month when the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal.
The New York Times reports that the Afghan government delegation was led by the deputy national security adviser, Salem Shah Ibrahimi. The Times reports that the Taliban delegation included several senior members of the group, including two negotiators from their political office in Doha and Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, who leads their prisoners’ commission. “The delegation that talked from Afghanistan is the delegation that went to Qatar, and, while there, were not met with by the Taliban,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban member.
The development comes amid a dramatic increase in Taliban violence in recent days. Afghan forces, who are in “active defense mode” have suffered heavy casualties, as have the Taliban. Clashes have been fought in Zabul and Kunduz as well as other provinces. “We are witnessing an increase in violence in nine northern provinces by the Taliban and, unfortunately, we have taken casualties as well,” said Hamid Saifi, a commander of 209 Shaheen Corps in the north.
