Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: Members of Swenate criticized government for a prisoner swap in which 11 Taliban inmates were freed, saying this brings the national sovereignty under question.
Senators in their Tuesday session also warned the United States that the people of Afghanistan would end their arrogance.
Eleven Taliban fighters including two senior commanders of the group and a member of the Haqqani terrorist network were freed from Bagram prison this week.
These inmates were reportedly freed in exchange of the release of three Indian national from militants’ custody, according to reports.
Senators said that the government should clarify about the
prisoner swap that according to them harms national sovereignty.
These Taliban fighters were freed after the recent meeting between the US envoy
for Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban delegation led by their
co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Pakistan.
“The government needs to clarify that whether Taliban
fighters were freed after the meeting. This brings our national sovereignty
under question,” said Alam Izadyar, deputy senate speaker.
He added that the government was still silent regarding the event.
Izadyar said that foreign ministry spokesman was fired for announcing the
ministry’s stance but nothing is told about Khalilzad’s meeting with Taliban
that decided the release of 11 Taliban fighters.
“We do not oppose prisoner exchange, but the exchange should be according to
law,” said senate speaker, Fazl Hadi Muslimyar.
He said that the Afghan people would not tolerate Khalilzad and Taliban’s
secret meetings without consulting with the government of Afghanistan.
Muslimyar warned that the people of Afghanistan would end the US arrogance if
the government could not fight against Washington’s arbitraries.
