Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed the Afghan grand assembly’s proposed release of some 400 key Taliban prisoners, a key demand from the warring group for the start of the much-awaited intra-Afghan dialogue.

Axar.az reports that, during a farewell meeting with outgoing Afghan Ambassador Shukrullah Atif Mashal in the capital Islamabad, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi hoped the intra-Afghan negotiations would commence "at the earliest" bringing the 18-year war in Afghanistan to an end.

Qureshi urged the Afghan leadership to seize "this historic opportunity to achieve a comprehensive, broad-based and inclusive political settlement" in the country, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

On Sunday, Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga, or the grand assembly, approved the release of the Taliban prisoners, paving the way for start of direct talks between the group and the Kabul government.