Daily Times

A 15-member Taliban delegation is expected to arrive in Afghanistan today (Saturday) for verification of prisoners who will be released under the Taliban-US agreement, Taliban officials said on Friday.

Afghan government announced this week to release a group of 100 Taliban prisoners by March 31 that will mark the start the process of the Taliban release, an important step to push the peace process.

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Daily Times that the team will verify the prisoners and will help in their release. He said the Taliban team will identify the prisoners if they are on the list.

“This is a technical team and will hold talks only on technical issues related to the prisoners. This does not mean negotiations as was claimed by a spokesman for the Afghan National Security Adviser’s office that Taliban will hold face-to-face negotiations,” Shaheen said. He also said there is no one from the Qatar negotiators in the technical delegation.

A total of 5000 Taliban prisoners should have been released by March 10 in accordance with the Taliban-US agreement signed in Qatar on Feb. 29. Taliban would also free 1000 prisoners of the Afghan government which also could not start.

President Ashraf Ghani had initially refused to release the prisoners as a precondition for the negotiations with the Taliban. However, he later issued a decree to start release of the prisoners.

Controversy over release of the Taliban prisoners delayed the intra-Afghan dialogue scheduled for March 10. No new date has been announced for the talks.

The proposed talks involving Afghan parties to the conflict are central to the U.S.-Taliban agreement reached in Qatar last month as Afghan leaders would decide the future political roadmap of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government has also announced a 21-member negotiating team to “advance peace talks” with the Taliban, an official statement said.

Five women members are part of the team which is headed by the former Afghan intelligence chief Masoom Stanekzai.

“This delegation, which has been finalized after much deliberation and consulta-tion with all parties and influential segments of society, is essentially tasked to represent the Is-lamic Republic of Afghanistan in the peace negotiations with the Taliban,” a statement from the State Ministry for Peace said. The statement was posted online.

“The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan wishes the delegation success and calls on them to consider, at all stages of negotiations, the best interest of the country, the shared values of the Afghan people, and the principle stand of the country for a united Afghanistan, and strive for lasting peace and stability in the country,” the statement said.

Abdul Salam Rahimy, Special Representative of the President and the State Minister for Peace, said the ministry will manage all decision-making mechanisms on behalf of the government, and facilitate and support the progression of the peace process.

The list of the negotiation team is: Masoom Stanekzai head of the delegation, Fatima Gilani, Nader Nadery, Abdul Mateen Bek, Fawzia Koofi, Zarar Ahmad Moqbel, Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, Mohammad Rasool Talib, Habiba Sarabi, Ghairat baheer, Mohammad Hafeez Mansoor, Gholam Farooq Majroh, Mawlawi Enayatullah Baligh, Batur Dostum, Kalimullah Naqibi, Mohammad Nateqi, Ayoob Ansari, Shahla Fareed, Sharifa Zormati, Khaled Noor and Amin Ahmadi.

A spokesman for the former chief executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah, who has declared himself as the president, said the team is not inclusive.

Omid Misam told the BBC Pashto that the team is incomplete as there should have been more consultations on its formation.

NATO in Afghanistan and the US embassy in Kabul on Friday welcomed formation of the team.

“The formation of the negotiating team is a crucial step on the path to peace. #NATO welcomes efforts of Afghans to come together at this pivotal moment and we look forward to the start of intra-Afghan negotiations ASAP to reach a comprehensive peaceful settlement with the Taliban,” the NATO said in a tweet.

The US embassy in Kabul welcome formation of the team as “an important step” in the Afghan Peace Process.

“These people carry the expectations of the nation on their shoulders. We’re ready to facilitate their preparation in face-to-face negotiations with the #Taliban, to turn the promise of #peace into a reality in #Afghanistan,” the embassy tweeted.