Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: A member of senate criticized President Ghani for freeing Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Haqqani network, calling the move “premature”.
President Ghani said Tuesday that Haqqani along with two other Taliban leaders would be conditionally freed in exchange of the freedom of two lecturers of the American University of Afghanistan held in Taliban since 2016.
Ghani said in a statement on Tuesday that the release of
Haqqani would hopefully pave the ground for the face to face talks with the
Taliban who have so far refused to sit with what they call “US puppet”,
referring to the internationally-recognized government.
The two other Taliban
commanders expected to be released are Mali Khan and Hafiz Rashid, a paternal
uncle of Anas.
Mohayyoddin Monsef, member of senate said the government decides to free the
three senior officials of Taliban while no negotiation had been held and no
ceasefire had been observed.
Monsef said that first Taliban should have accepted a truce and should have
held direct talks with the government, then the president could have release
Haqqani and his associates.
“For a dignified and lasting peace, we have to pay a bitter cost. This is what
we are paying this bitter cost today,” Ghani said in a televised speech,
emphasizing that republic system, rights of citizenship and other achievements
would not be dealt.
Senator Monsef said that Haqqani and his colleagues were responsible for tens
of deadly attacks in different parts of Afghanistan that claimed the lives of
hundreds of innocent Afghans.
