Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has called for removal of the remaining barriers ahead of the intra-Afghan negotiations.

“Our collective efforts have so far succeeded in advancing Afghan peace process to current unprecedented point. All stakeholders must ensure residual issues resolved to commence Intra-Afghan negotiations w/out delay. The imp of seizing this historic opp cannot be stressed enough,” he said on his twitter.

The release of the remaining Taliban prisoners has been a controversial issue hindering start of the intra-Afghan talks.

Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mohammad Haneef Atmar says some foreign countries are against the release of the remaining 320 Taliban prisoners. Recently, the French embassy in Kabul in a tweet has urged the Afghan government not to release those Taliban who were convicted of killing French citizens.

In the meantime, Iranian ambassador to Kabul Bahadur Aminian in a meeting with acting foreign minister of Afghan discussed the prisoner release issue, violence reduction, immediate truce, the launch of intra-Afghan talks and strengthening of economic and political cooperation between the two countries as well as forming a regional consensus in the Afghan peace process.

Elsewhere, US Special Peace Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has called on warring sides to launch the intra-Afghan talks as soon as Possible.

Arezo News