'No commitment' to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners: Ghani

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a news conference in Kabul. Reuters

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pushed back Sunday against a key component of the US-Taliban deal signed a day earlier, saying he had not committed to releasing any insurgent prisoners.

"There is no commitment to releasing 5,000 prisoners," Ghani told a press conference.

"This is the right and the self-will of the people of Afghanistan. It could be included in the agenda of the intra-Afghan talks, but cannot be a prerequisite for talks."

Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels | Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks