79 Taliban Released From Afghan Prisons in Apparent Bid for Unity

Seventy-nine Taliban were released from prisons around Afghanistan on Wednesday, a move which appears to be part of efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

The head of Afghanistan's Supreme Court judicial audit department, Ibdali, said on Wednesday that 79 Taliban prisoners were being released.

His reasons for the release suggested that either there was a hope the released prisoners would renounce violence or they would join the fight against insurgents supported by "neighbouring countries".

"Other [countries] caused them [the prisoners] to fight, taking the benefits for themselves. Schools are being closed here - if going to school is a sin here, then it should be the same there [in the other countries] as well," Ibdali told TOLOnews.

He called on the released prisoners to instead combat those who create an unstable situation in Afghanistan.

Head of the Independent Commission for Supervision of the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Qazi Gul Ranhman said the release aimed at unity and called on the former prisoners to do away with violence and not follow other countries.

"Enough is enough. How much you want to kill each other? How many women you want to leave widows? How many children you want leave orphans? How many people do you want to make disabled? Isn't it enough?" he said to those released from Bagram prison.

"The secret of prosperity is union, Allah also loves union, so let us hug each other," he added.

One of the released prisoners told TOLOnews: "If the foreign forces leave Afghanistan, the Afghan army and the police are our brothers - we are all from Afghanistan."

Ibdali said 20 of the 79 released were from Bagram prison which has only just been handed over by the US forces to Afghan control.

It comes as Afghan officials said last week that they were talking to Pakistan about handing over Taliban prisoners to Afghanistan.