The first intra-Afghan negotiations over a postwar "road map" were meant to begin this week. But there are new hurdles for the process to get over.
Afghan officials say a member of the government's team tasked with negotiating with the Taliban has survived an assassination attempt.
Hopes for ending four decades of war in Afghanistan are high this week after a Loya Jirga or grand assembly of more than 3,000 political elites, tribal leaders, clerics, and activists approved the release of 400 Taliban prisoners.
The Afghan government and the Taliban are on the verge of starting peace talks aimed at ending almost two decades of war in Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani said that he will approve the release of 400 Taliban militants.
Thousands of prominent Afghans have supported the release of about 400 Taliban prisoners on August 9, including many who had been involved in attacks that killed Afghans and foreigners.
A traditional Afghan council is set to meet again on August 8 in Kabul to decide whether the government should release 400 Taliban prisoners that have been convicted of involvement in high-profile attacks in the country.
A grand assembly, or Loya Jirga, has opened in Afghanistan's capital to decide whether to release a final 400 Taliban prisoners, the last hurdle to opening peace talks between the internationally backed government and the Taliban under a peace deal between the militants and the United States.
As Muslims across the world celebrated the Eid al-Adha festival this past weekend, the 48-year-old spent most of her time visiting the graves of her three sons and trying to console their children.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered the release of an additional 500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture as a three-day cease-fire proposed by the Taliban and agreed to by the Afghan government took effect on July 31.
Afghans on July 29 welcomed a three-day cease-fire but called for it to be made permanent after the government and the Taliban said they would observe a truce that could kickstart peace talks as soon as next week.
Talks between the Afghan government and the hard-line Islamist Taliban movement finally appear to be on the horizon after the two sides announced a brief cease-fire during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha this week.
The Taliban and Afghan government have announced a three-day cease-fire for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday starting on July 31, as the United States presses for the start of delayed intra-Afghan peace talks.
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