US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmai Khalilzad
Kabul … News Time
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmai Khalilzad has called on Afghan leaders to resolve their differences over the coronavirus war and move forward with a peace deal with the Taliban. According to the Associated Press, Zalmai Khalilzad said in a Twitter message that the well-being of the Afghan people and the country depended on all parties devoting their full energies to the war. He added that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who declared himself successful in the presidential election, should put the country’s interests above their own during Ramadan. He also called on the Afghan government and the Taliban to continue exchanging prisoners under the peace agreement.
A peace deal between the United States and the Taliban in February agreed to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government detainees. So far, however, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has released 550 prisoners on the grounds of weakness and age, given the virus and the length of his imprisonment. The Taliban did not say whether the prisoners were among those released under the agreement, but said the Taliban had released 60 prisoners.
On the other hand, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that his group was abiding by the agreement and was ready to discuss a nationwide ceasefire in inter-Afghan talks. The talks were supposed to begin 10 days after the February 29 agreement, but have yet to take place due to political tensions in Kabul.
