KABUL: The Afghan government has set free 80 Taliban prisoners of the total 400 remaining in Pul-i-Charkhi prison whose release was sanctioned by the Consultative Loya Jirga last week, said a statement from the National Security Council (NSC) on Friday.

The statement cited the reason behind this move as the government’s keenness to speed up peace efforts so that the intra-Afghan talks get going, leading to a permanent ceasefire. 

It’s pertinent to mention that the Peace Consultative Loya Jirga gave a mandate to the government to release the 400 contentious Taliban prisoners last week. Members of the Jirga called on the international community and the United States to provide assurances and guarantees that the released prisoners wouldn’t return to the front lines of war.