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Loya Jirga urges govt to release prisoners in order to kick start peace talks
![](https://www.ariananews.af/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Loya-Jirga-2.jpg)
Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga, or grand council of tribal elders, community leaders, and politicians, on Saturday, urged the government to release the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners so as to move forward with intra-Afghan talks.
The Loya Jirga, called to determine the fate of the prisoners, convened Friday and wrapped up on Saturday. Over 3,200 delegates participated.
The delegates were split up into 50 working committees and discussed the prisoner release issue for two days.
Once each group had made their decision they submitted their recommendations to the Jirga’s administrative board.
All 50 committees recommended government free the 400 controversial prisoners.
Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council of National Reconciliation and the chair of the Loya Jirga, said Saturday that the committees recommended the prisoners be released but that the Jirga would officially “announce the outcome tomorrow.”
“I congratulate all Jirga members divided into 50 working committees for promptly ending their free deliberations. I welcome their input and recommendations as part of this important consultative exercise as we compile & announce the outcome tomorrow,” Abdullah said in a tweet.
I congratulate all Jirga members divided into 50 working committees for promptly ending their free deliberations. I welcome their input and recommendations as part of this important consultative exercise as we compile & announce the outcome tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/K5TjBnYf4H
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) August 8, 2020
Meanwhile, Abdullah said that the direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban would begin three days after the end of the Jirga.
"Three days after the end of the jirga, Afghan talks will begin and we are ready to move this process forward properly to end the war in Afghanistan," Abdullah said.
A readout of their conclusions, seen by Ariana News, indicates that these committees urged the international community, especially the United States, to guarantee the start of intra-Afghan negotiations and a comprehensive ceasefire for the release of prisoners.
In their recommendations, the committees recommended that the government and the High Council of National Reconciliation consider the following points regarding the release of the prisoners and the hoped-for intra-Afghan peace talks:
- To achieve lasting and dignified peace, the parties must show the necessary flexibility;
- Release 400 remaining Taliban prisoners so that there is no excuse to postpone peace talks;
- Unconditional ceasefire shall be established with the release of Taliban prisoners and the parties shall remain committed to it;
- Peace talks should begin as soon as possible;
- The formation of an all-inclusive national body for peace negotiations capable of defending the values and achievements of the last 19 years;
- Afghan-led peace talks should preferably be held in Afghanistan;
- The countries involved in the Afghan issue should stop supporting the Taliban and not escalate tensions;
- The Taliban should no longer carry out terrorist attacks under the name of ISIS (Daesh);
- Prisoners should be released on national and international bail so that they do not rejoin the battlefield;
- Guarantee from the international community from the start and success of the talks and the establishment of lasting peace in Afghanistan;
- Release prisoners of the country's security forces in order to prevent the weakening of their national spirit;
- Decisively defend the republic and the achievements of the last 19 years in the peace negotiations;
- Defend the constitution, especially the second chapter of the constitution and the democratic system in negotiations;
- Protect civil liberties and rights enshrined in the Constitution, especially the rights and freedoms of women;
- Preserve freedom of speech and freedom of the press;
- Share the progress of peace talks with the people of Afghanistan during the talks;
- The government must obtain the consent of the families of war victims;
- Involve all different sections of society, especially women and youth in the peace negotiating team;
- The negotiating team must have the full capacity for dialogue;
- Peace agreements under the supervision and guarantee of the United Nations, major world and regional powers;
"All the members of the relevant committees emphasized that the people of Afghanistan have been making sacrifices for years. War has taken a heavy toll on us. To achieve peace and stability and to end the devastating phenomenon of war, we agree to release Taliban prisoners, provided that the international community guarantees the success of the talks and the establishment of lasting peace,” the chairmen of the committees said.
The chairmen added: "Agreeing to release Taliban prisoners does not mean forgiving their crimes. No individual or institution has the right to do so. But achieving peace and stability in the country is a national priority and a public necessity.
“Therefore, to facilitate the success of the peace talks, it is necessary to pave the way for the start of negotiations.”
After submitting the report of the working committees, Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation and Chairman of the Grand Consultative Peace Jirga, meanwhile expressed his gratitude for the patience, comprehensive advice and constructive and comprehensive suggestions made by the members of the Jirga and said: “The High Council for National Reconciliation is very important and we will make great use of it in the negotiations.”
The Speaker of the Grand Consultative Peace Jirga expressed satisfaction with the successful completion of the working committees and said: "Afghanistan is at a critical and historic stage. It is a great success to understand the sensitivity of the situation and to give your advice in the light of the current situation and with the national interest in mind. However, the conditions are not favorable. But what definitely guarantees our victory is our unity.”
Meanwhile, some committees objected to the composition of the current negotiating team, urging the government to reconsider its make up and select new members for the team.
But sources close to the Taliban say that after the release of 400 prisoners, early talks are not possible and the demands of the parties involved have not been finalized.
Sayed Akbar Agha, a former member of the Taliban, said: "The Taliban are waiting for the release of 400 prisoners and the Taliban are ready for Afghan talks, but it is possible that other figures will join the government's negotiating team and this will not be possible in a short time."
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ATN’s hat-trick! Rights in place to broadcast ICC World Test Championship 2023/25 Final
![](https://www.ariananews.af/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ICC.jpg)
Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN) has done it again! This time it secured the rights to broadcast the ICC World Test Championship 2023/25 Final in Afghanistan.
The 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship is an ongoing tournament of Test Cricket which is the third edition of the ICC World Test Championship.
This event started in June 2023 with The Ashes, which was contested between England and Australia. It will finish in June 2025 with the final match planned to be played at Lord's in London.
The tournament consists of 27 series and 69 matches in the league stage between nine countries. The top two teams in the points table will compete at the final.
Current State of Play
A draw this week in the third Test between Australia and India has spiced up the race to the World Test Championship Final especially as Australia and India continue to play catch-up with South Africa after the rain-truncated third Test in Brisbane ended in a stalemate.
South Africa had to dig deep against Sri Lanka recently, but a standout all-round performance helped them secure a series win and pushed them to the top of the standings, placing them as the front-runners for the WTC25 Final at Lord’s.
Alongside South Africa, Australia and India, Sri Lanka remains the only other team in contention for a WTC25 Final spot. However, they will need a string of favorable results - including a successful showing in their upcoming two-match series against Australia in January - to keep their hopes alive.
South Africa is top of the standings with a PCT of 63.33. They need to win one out of their two upcoming tests against Pakistan to reach their maiden ICC WTC final.
Australia and India are in second and third place respectively.
India has a PCT of 55.88 and two tests left, both of which they need to win to secure a place in the final.
Australia’s PCT is 58.89. After two tests against India. They have two more tests in Sri Lanka.
For cricket fans across the country, make sure you follow us on social media, and watch this spot, for updates and announcements on this event - along with other exciting tournaments coming up next year that Ariana Television will be bringing to you live and exclusively in Afghanistan.
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Russian law paves way to recognise Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
No country currently recognises the IEA government which regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
![](https://www.ariananews.af/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Russia-Parliament.jpg)
Russia's parliament passed a law on Tuesday that would allow courts to suspend bans on groups designated by Moscow as terrorist organisations - paving the way for it to normalise ties with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan annd potentially with the new leadership of Syria.
No country currently recognises the IEA government which regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
But Russia has been gradually building ties with the Islamic Emirate, which President Vladimir Putin said in July was now an ally in fighting terrorism.
In addition, the leader of Russia's Muslim region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, called on Monday for the removal of Syrian group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from Moscow's list of banned groups.
HTS spearheaded the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
Kadyrov, a close Putin ally, said Russia needed ties to the new Syrian authorities to ensure stability and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
The Kremlin said this week that Russia was in contact with the new leadership in Syria, where it hopes to retain the use of an airfield and a naval base that give it an important military foothold in the Mediterranean.
Security threat
Moscow sees a major security threat from Islamist militant groups based in a string of countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East, where Russia lost a major ally with the fall of Assad, Reuters reported.
In March, gunmen killed 145 people at a concert hall outside Moscow in an attack claimed by Islamic State.
U.S. officials said they had intelligence indicating it was the Afghan branch of the group, Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), that was responsible.
However, the IEA has repeatedly said it is working to wipe out the presence of ISIS-K in Afghanistan.
Russia’s history in Afghanistan
Russia has a complex and bloodstained history in Afghanistan.
Soviet troops invaded the country in December 1979 to prop up a Communist government, but became bogged down in a long war against mujahideen fighters armed by the United States.
Soviet leader at the time, Mikhail Gorbachev, pulled his army out in 1989, by which time some 15,000 Soviet soldiers had been killed.
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Kunduz families get much needed food aid, thanks to Bayat Foundation
The Bayat Foundation is a stalwart in terms of assisting needy people, not only through its winter food aid campaign but also in times of disaster.
![](https://www.ariananews.af/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bayat-Foundation-1.png)
As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting needy families in winter in Afghanistan, the Bayat Foundation has once again provided essential food aid to hundreds of needy families in Kunduz province.
The Bayat Foundation’s representative in the northeastern zone, Khair Mohammad Saljoqi, explained that the relief packages included flour, rice, and oil, which were distributed to the needy after a thorough survey.
He stated: “The Bayat Charity Foundation continues its annual winter aid distribution [program]. This year, we have prepared winter relief packages for the needy in Kunduz, and today we are witnessing the distribution.”
Meanwhile, recipients have expressed their gratitude for the timely delivery of the relief packages and have called for further assistance from other humanitarian organizations for impoverished families.
One of the aid recipients, expressed his appreciation, saying: "We are very grateful to the Bayat Foundation."
Another recipient said: “We are very happy that the Bayat Foundation has helped the poor people. May God give strength to the Bayat Foundation to continue helping needy families, as it is winter, the weather is cold, and there is no work.”
Additionally, several women, who are the sole breadwinners for their families, shared that they have no food or warm clothing to get them through winter and are in desperate need of such assistance.
They also thanked the Bayat Foundation for their assistance.
Rukhshana, one of the recipients, said: “Please help us. We don’t have a breadwinner at home. I have small children. Traders should help us. We have no firewood, no coal. We thank the Bayat Foundation for helping us.”
The Bayat Foundation is a stalwart in terms of assisting needy people, not only through its winter food aid campaign but also in times of disaster.
Foundation officials have meanwhile stressed that given the growing poverty and worsening hardships people are facing in the country, their winter aid program will continue to be rolled out to other provinces.
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