The Taliban, the main Afghan insurgent group, has offered a three-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of 7,000 prisoners just before senior delegations of the warring parties are expected to meet in Doha, Qatar.

Nader Nadery, a key member of the government negotiation team, confirmed, saying "it is a big demand."  He further added the insurgents also demanded the removal of their leaders' names from a United Nations blacklist.

The Afghan government is yet to react officially to the offer as the last release of over 5000 Taliban prisoners as part of the Doha deal, signed by the US and the Taliban, yielded no breakthrough in the conflict. The Taliban nevertheless pushed on with their military offensive.

The offer came at a time when the Taliban gained massive territory, seizing well over 100 of Afghanistan's over 400 districts. Importantly, the group also managed to take control of key border crossings, including Spin Boldak along the Pakistan border.

Security experts, however, remain apprehensive of the Taliban’s latest offer. Calling it a “non-starter” for Kabul, Fraud Bezhan, a senior journalist who covers the region, said the proposal will allow the insurgent group to “consolidate (their) military gains and rest/resupply/replenish fighters”. 

“(The) Taliban is stretched thin, (and their) control over new areas is tenuous,” he said in a tweet. 

Ibrahim Bahiss, an expert on Afghanistan and consultant with the International Criss Group, said “I don’t know if the Taliban is in the mood of such compromises.” He suggested that the insurgent group would continue to push their military advantage and keep the government off-balance. 

Moreover, without a final peace agreement and comprehensive ceasefire, it won’t be easy for the international community to lift sanctions against Taliban leaders.  

(SAM)