Pakistan's release of 33 Afghan Taliban prisoners from jail, an initiative seen as an opportunity to ignite peace talks, has resulted in no concrete progress, top Afghan officials have said.
The Afghanistan Government has said the release of influential insurgents could encourage their comrades to the negotiating table.
According to the daily Times, despite the 33 Afghan Taliban prisoners released by Pakistan and dozens of others freed in Afghanistan, there is still no peace process and some fighters have returned to the battlefield.
The Taliban still has refused to deal with the Karzai government, branding him a US puppet.
The report said that the Taliban has also shown no willingness to participate in elections on April 5, 2014 when Karzai will step down for a new leader for the first time since the 2001 US-led invasion, the report added.
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