Afghan president pledges to release nearly 900 prisoners
The president did not say what offences the prisoners had committed
KABUL (AFP) - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pledged Tuesday to release nearly 900 inmates from prisons across Afghanistan.
During an address to the nation for Eid -- the festival marking the end of Ramadan -- Ghani said 887 inmates would be set free.
The president did not say what offences the prisoners had committed or whether they were members of the Taliban.
During a peace conference in April, Ghani said he would release 175 Taliban prisoners as a gesture of "goodwill".
It was not clear if those insurgent prisoners were included in the number Ghani gave on Tuesday.
Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of Ramadan early last month, but the Taliban rejected the offer.
Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day ceasefire but there has been no reduction in violence this year.
Ghani also said he had accepted an invitation from Pakistan s Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Pakistan later this month.
