Afghan High Peace Council officials on Thursday said around eight more Taliban leaders would be freed from Pakistani jails during the next two to three days.
Masoom Stanekzai, chief of the Afghan high peace council secretariat, said Afghan and Pakistani officials were in talks for the release of more Taliban leaders from jails in Pakistan, according to Afghanistan media reports. However, Stanekzai did not disclose further information if Taliban leader Mullah Baradar was among those who would be freed.
The reports surface following Afghan High Peace Council chief Salahuddin Rabbani’s visit to Pakistan earlier this week in a bid to pave the way for the Afghan peace talks.
Following the visit of the peace delegation, Pakistan and Afghanistan issued a joint statement, calling on the Taliban to sever links with al Qaeda.
Pakistan and the visiting Afghan High Peace Council also appealed to the Taliban to participate in the reconciliation process. Council Chairman Salahuddin Rabbani met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani during his three-day visit.
“In support of peace and reconciliation process and in response to the requests of the council, a number of Taliban detainees are being released,” the statement added.
Pakistan and the Afghan council agreed to have more frequent contacts to enhance peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad Mohammad Omer Daudzai called council’s visit to Pakistan vital and historic.
He said the peace delegation’s visit was important and would be accompanied by major achievements, since the Afghan peace officials visited Pakistan with a clear agenda.
Daudzai did not disclose further information regarding the peace talks, however, he said a number of the prominent Taliban detainees would be freed from Pakistani jails.
Earlier, a delegation of the Afghan council headed by Professor Burhanduddin Rabbani visited Pakistan in January 2011 to discuss Afghan peace talks with Pakistani officials.
