Hidden hands that disrupt the peace process

F.P. Report

KABUL: As you know following signing of agreement with United States another step towards initiating intra-Afghan negotiations has been started. Taliban and Kabul administration have discussed the issue of prisoner exchanges through video conferencing, followed by news of the release of the prisoners and Taliban announced a delegation to determine and release their detainees. Thus the peace process that had been delayed for a while was once again became alive and hopes of the Afghan people unfaded.

But during this sensitive phase in which media was talking about the journey of Taliban representative to Kabul with the help of Red Cross, beating and harassing of inmates in Bagram prison started.

The media reported that troops launched attacks on prisoners in the 5th, 6th and Bravo blocks of the prison, leaving dozens of prisoners injured and several others martyred very inhumanly. The photographs of the bloodshed of prisoners telling the story of the cruel oppression of these innocent victims were also posted in the media. The incident happened on the same day the Taliban delegation would have arrived in Bagram and the process of release of prisoners would have begun. From one hand Kabul officials are expressing their willingness to release prisoners during negotiations, on the other hand, in such a sensitive time when prisoners should be freed, there starts sudden waves of unforeseen crimes aga-inst inmates in Bagram pr-ison, their beating, socking in blood and martyring is evident that behind the sc-enes, there are intentional and destructive hands who try to destroy the peace process and damage mutual trust.

These trespassing hands, perhaps infiltrated by the mafia circles, the enemies of Afghanistan, or even some ill-tempered nations performs such actions that are counter-productive to the spirit of peace and reconciliation and will further increase turmoil and tension. From these unforeseen events, it is also evident that the Kabul administration has no control over the situation, nor can it fulfil the promises that are ass-ured on the table. Because representatives of Kabul administration promise to exchange prisoners in neg-otiations but they cannot practically prevent the dest-ructive hands of those who carry out unprovoked and cruel attacks on prisoners.

The peace-loving Afghan people, international community, US, and the international organizations including Red Cross and other human rights associations should follow this incident seriously to determine who is committing such destructive and cruel acts of sabotaging intra-Afghan understanding.