Afghan officials say Pakistan’s release of 33 Taliban prisoners from jail, a policy initially trumpeted by Kabul as an opportunity to ignite peace talks, has resulted in no concrete progress. The Afghan government, desperately searching for a way to negotiate peace before NATO troops leave next year, has said that the release of influential rebels could encourage their comrades to the negotiating table. But despite the 33 Afghan Taliban prisoners released by Pakistan and dozens of others freed in Afghanistan, there is still no peace process and some rebels have returned to the battlefield. The Taliban still refuse publicly to deal with the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, branding him a US puppet. In parts of Afghanistan, which continue to witness Taliban attacks, the releases have been met with incomprehension if not anger by local government officials.