ISLAMABAD: Afghan Taliban are holding talks with the officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) weeks after the insurgents announced they will not allow safe passage to Red Cross staff working in Afghanistan because of their “failure to check maltreatment” of prisoners in Pul-i-Charkhi jail. Taliban say hundreds of their prisoners are languishing in Pul-i-Charkhi jail, accusing the ICRC of demonstrating “blatant negligence” and not taking notice of hunger strike by thousands of inmates last month. A Taliban source said that members of the Taliban’s prisoners, health commissions and those dealing with foreign aid groups were scheduled to meet the ICRS’s officials in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in the coming days. Some sources say meetings in Qatar are also possible, where Taliban have political office. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid evaded comments when a query was posted on WhatsApp. A Taliban official said meeting with the ICRS is only limited to the issue of prisoners and nothing to do with peace negotiations. “ICRC has been seeing meeting with the Islamic Emirate to solve the problem. These are routine meetings to explore ways on how to facilitate foreign aid agencies in areas under the control of the Islamic Emirate,” he said requesting not to be identified. Taliban call themselves as the Islamic Emirate, the name they would use during their rule. Taliban had alleged that hundreds of prisoners had gone into coma last month and their lives were severely threatened but the ICRC did not address to their concerns. “The International Red Cross has not made any arrangements to treat the prisoners nor provided proper medical care for the patients. Therefore the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announces the withdrawal of security commitment that had given to the International Red Cross for their activities in Afghanistan,” the Taliban said last month. Some sources say the meeting could also discuss the ICRC’s role in the possible release of Taliban prisoners as part of confidence building measures between the US, Taliban and the Kabul administration. Taliban sources earlier said that release of prisoners is also one of the issues during their talks with the Americans in Qatar. Representatives of the Taliban office and senior US officials met on July 23 in their first meeting that mainly focused on confidence building measures and the possible agenda for the official talks. Removal of the Taliban leaders from the UN Security Council’s sanctions list and reopening of the Taliban office are also agenda items and major promised CBMs, according to the Taliban. A second meeting was scheduled to take place in September, however, a Taliban official said the Americans had not yet contacted the Taliban office. Some sources say the newly appointed US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmai Khalilzad could lead the US in the formal talks. On their part Taliban are also involved in consultations to name a senior leader to lead the insurgents, who enjoy the support of the Taliban military commanders. A proposal floated earlier about a possible visit of a Taliban delegation to the Pul-i-Charkhi prison to meet the Taliban prisoners. The Afghan government and Taliban had released some of prisoners on the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Adha in August. Published in Daily Times, September 18th 2018.