Javid Faisal, the spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday confirmed the completion of the Taliban prisoner release except for a half dozen prisoners about whom international partners have reservations.

The government received commandos held hostage by the Taliban after the government released the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners, except for the few about which the allies have taken issue, said Faisal.

"Diplomatic efforts are ongoing. We expect direct talks to start promptly,” he said.

In the meantime, sources close to the Taliban have confirmed the release of 4,993 prisoners, with seven remaining that foreign countries urged the Afghan government to not release directly.

“These prisoners will be transferred to Qatar,” the sources said.

These remaining Taliban prisoners were among 400 singled-out for having allegedly committed serious crimes.

In this episode host Shogofa Danish discusses the topic with Wais Barmak, former interior minister.