KABUL - The Afghan government released 80 Taliban militants from Pul-e-Charkhi prison in eastern part of capital Kabul. According to officials around 67 of the freed Taliban militants were arrested by US troops in connection to insurgency activities against the Afghan government and were previously kept in Bagram prison which was recently handed over to Afghan security forces.

This comes as the Afghan government earlier released around 200 Taliban militants earlier.

Gen. Ghulam Farooq commander of the Afghan military police said, around 131 other prisoners will also be freed from Kandahar, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces of Afghanistan.

Afghan government is expecting to pave the way for peace talks with the militants groups in Afghanistan by releasing the detained insurgents however the freedom of the militants have been widely criticized.

Observers are saying that the freed Taliban militants are resuming fight against the Afghan government once they are freed but the officials are saying that the government is releasing those suspected militants who have been forgiven by courts and those whose connections with the militants groups are not proven. (KP)