Afghanistan’s grand assembly gathers to discuss Kabul-Taliban peace deal
Published 7 Aug, 2020 08:15 | Updated 7 Aug, 2020 10:15
Thousands of Afghan elders, community leaders and politicians gathered on Friday to debate government efforts to make peace with the Taliban. The fate of 400 hardcore Taliban prisoners, whose release could clear the way for talks, is on the agenda.
Some 3,200 people have been invited to the grand assembly, a loya jirga, in Kabul amid tight security, to debate for at least three days and then advise the government on whether the prisoners should be freed.
As part of a February pact between the US and the Taliban allowing for the withdrawal of US troops, it was agreed that some 5,000 Taliban prisoners should be released from Afghan jails as a condition for talks between the militants and the US-backed government.
The government has released all but some 400 militants it says have been convicted of the worst crimes, Reuters reports.
