Afghan President Ashraf Gani announces to release 175 Taliban prisoners

Afghanistan's president Ashraf Ghani has announced the release of 175 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture. 

The Taliban has so far refused to engage in direct peace talks with the government. 

The militants are negotiating directly with a US envoy in Qatar, as



Washington seeks to wind up the longest war in its history, which began in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. 

The goodwill gesture is the result of the three-day huge peace meeting held in Kabul demanding immediate and permanent ceasefire in Afghanistan.