Amid a growing controversy over the fate of 400 Taliban prisoners accused of major crimes, President Ashraf Ghani in his inauguration speech to the members of the Loya Jirga in Kabul on Friday reiterated that neither he nor the country has the legal authority to decide on their future.

The US State Department in a statement welcomed the Loya Jirga in Kabul, saying the Jirga will consolidate national support for peace in Afghanistan and determine the fate of the remaining Taliban prisoners which are a major obstacle to starting the intra-Afghan talks.