Taliban’s unconditional release opposed

KABUL, urging Islamabad to hand over the militants in its custody to Kabul.

Officials of the Transitional Justice Coordination Group (TJCG) told a news conference in Kabul the judiciary, particularly the Afghan Supreme Court, should assign reasons for Taliban’s release without due legal process.

Liah Jawad, the TJCG leader, called for the Karzai administration to adopt a clearly-defined mechanism for the Taliban already released and ensure that they did not return to terrorism.

Reading out recommendations of the group, she stressed the need for investigating cases of child prisoners on Bagram base and pursuing results with human rights organisations, the media and the public.

“The High Peace Council, through the road map for peace, must not violate the Constitution, but due to a major policy change in the system, the plan must be submitted to the national assembly for approval,” the official added.

While renewing the group’s demand for the repeal of the amnesty law, Liah Jawad said the measure promoted the culture of impunity and led to increased violence and instability.

“The government should respect the Constitution and ensure implementation of all other laws,” she said, warning the authorities against encouraging a culture of impunity by releasing criminals.

Another TJCG member, Mohammad Rahim Jame accused Pakistan of taking political mileage out of releasing militants. He said the whereabouts of freed insurgents and their contribution to the reconciliation effort were yet to be known.

Several attempts, including Peace Process Roadmap to 2015, by the government to secure peace had failed to yield tangible results for the people, he claimed.  At the recent Paris conference, he recalled, the Taliban explicitly said they did not recognise the Afghan Constitution.

He said the insurgents had also ruled out negotiations with the government, which was still pursuing its peace road map. The Taliban’s unconditional release and removal of their names from UN and US blacklists were against Afghan laws and conventions of justice, Jame maintained.

mud

Visits: 2