Last year the Paris-based group put Islamabad on a grey list. Until now only Iran and North Korea are blacklisted, which severely restricts a country’s international borrowing capabilities.There was no immediate response from the Taliban, but many of the group’s leaders are known to own businesses and property in Pakistan.
Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to the Taliban following their ouster in 2001 by the U.S.-led coalition but both Washington and Kabul routinely accused Islamabad of giving them a safe haven. But even as Washington has already begun withdrawing its soldiers, efforts to get talks started between Kabul’s political leadership and the Taliban have been stymied by delays in a prisoner release program.The two sides are to release prisoners — 5,000 by the government and 1,000 by the Taliban — as a goodwill gesture ahead of talks. Both sides blame the other for the delays.
Kabul has defied a traditional jirga or council’s order to release the last Taliban it is holding, saying it wants 22 Afghan commandos being held by the Taliban freed first.
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