(Last Updated On: December 17, 2020)
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said Thursday government will not release any more Taliban prisoners until the “bloodshed” in the country stops.
Addressing a press conference in Kandahar, Ghani stated that the Taliban needs to stop the violence before any more of their prisoners are released.
This comes after the group recently called for the release of an additional 7,000 prisoners, in line with a deal the Taliban signed with the US in February.
Ghani meanwhile said on Thursday: “If today I ask (order) to release 2,000 people (Taliban) would you (Ulema) release them? Definitely not!”
“First, they (Taliban) should stop the bloodshed then we will negotiate. Why are they afraid of stopping the bloodshed? My question is clear. If you (Taliban) want to get into politics, we are ready.”