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Afghan Leader Vows Taliban Prisoner Release to be Completed

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced Thursday that his
   government will soon release remaining Taliban prisoners to help a
   U.S.-led peace process remain on course.'¯

   Ghani told a forum hosted jointly bytheWashington-based Atlantic
   Council's South Asia Centerand the United States Institute of Peace
   that 3,000 insurgent inmates have already been set free.

   "My colleagues and I have made the decision to release an additional
   2,000 prisoners within a very short period. We will announce the date
   soon," the Afghan presidentsaid.

   Ghani noted that Taliban members were in Kabul identifying their
   prisoners being released from jails in exchange for 1,000 Afghan
   security personnel being held by the insurgents.'¯

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