Ashraf Ghani rejected the demand for immediate release of prisoners and began the release of 1,500 inmates in a phased manner, while the Taliban has so far released 40 prisoners.
Doha … News Time
Coronavirus threatens US peace plan in Afghanistan according to a report by the foreign news agency Reuters, four sources with information said that if the Taliban and Afghan government prisoners died in custody before the exchange, US efforts to end the war in Afghanistan would fail. Two sources said that as the springtime violence approaches, it is important to keep the US peace plan in place, and the danger is that as violence escalates, it will be impossible to stop the coronavirus. While other US ambassadors are unable to travel anywhere due to the coronavirus, US special envoy Zalmai Khalilzad left for Doha last week, where the Taliban has an office.
On the condition of anonymity, sources said that if many prisoners on both sides fall prey to the disease or die in jail, it would be a humanitarian problem and Negotiations between Afghans will become even more difficult. A Western ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his visit to the region was an indication that the US president could not see the agreement expiring under any circumstances. He said face-to-face meetings were essential for US diplomats to clarify the nature of the messages. The US State Department did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
It should be noted that on February 29, an agreement was reached between the United States and the Taliban to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of US troops from the region. In the first phase, the Afghan government had to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Taliban prisoners in the Afghan government by March 10. The Taliban stepped up attacks on Afghan security forces after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was not part of the deal, refused to release prisoners.
