For the first time, past the March 10 deadline to begin negotiations, the Taliban is ready to hold peace talks with the Afghan government next month right after Eid al-Adha, but only if the continuing prisoner swap has been completed.
On Thursday, Suhail Shaheen, a political spokesman for the Taliban, on Twitter said, “The Taliban is likely … ready to begin intra-Afghan negotiations immediately after Eid in case the process of the release of the prisoners is completed”.
There have been no immediate comments from the Afganistan government regarding the Taliban’s statements.
The prisoner-exchange deal is part of an agreement between the US and the Taliban ahead of peace talks.
According to the US-Taliban agreement, the Afghan government has to free up to 5,000 Taliban fighters, whereas the Taliban has to release 1,000 Afghan forces.
The Afghan government has freed nearly 4,400 Taliban inmates so far. While the Taliban says it has released 864 government captives.
This statement from the Taliban comes amid rising violence in Afganistan due to clashes between the Aghan government and the Taliban, which has hindered US-backed efforts to bring the two parties to negotiations that could end the 19-year Afghanistan war.
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