President Hamid Karzai ordered a review on Sunday of all cases of Taliban suspects being held in Afghan jails and said those being detained on doubtful evidence must be released.
The step was Mr Karzai’s first official response to a national conference last week on ways to end his country’s nearly 9-year-old insurgency.
The resolution from that meeting included recommendations to move toward negotiations with militant factions. The conference, called a “jirga” in the local language, also recommended that Taliban prisoners being held in Afghan custody and by the US military should be released if they were being held on “inaccurate statements or unsubstantiated allegations.” Hundreds of Taliban and other militant suspects are being held in Afghan jails across the country.
Hundreds more, including Al Qaeda operatives, are being held in US military jails in Afghanistan and Cuba. Mr Karzai’s office said in a statement he had ordered the creation of a delegation of officials from the Supreme Court, a government-backed reconciliation commission, Justice ministry and other judicial officers to “identify those prisoners who are in jails without enough evidence and release them.” Last week’s meeting said insurgent prisoners should be released as a goodwill gesture that would precede peace talks with the Taliban. But it also stressed that insurgents who want to take part in the peace process must cut their ties with foreign terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda.
Washington supports Mr Karzai’s plans to offer incentives for rank-and-file militants to lay down arms but remains sceptical about Kabul seeking negotiations with insurgent leaders.
US officials contend the Taliban leadership — which is demanding the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan — feels it has little reason to negotiate because it believes it is winning the war.
—PTI