Pakistan allows concessions to detained Taliban

In another positive gesture towards the peace and stability in Afghanistan, Pakistan has given some major relaxations to important Taliban leaders in its detention, including Mullah Omar’s deputy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Baradar and around 10 other important Taliban leaders like Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, former Taliban justice minister, have been given the liberty of having telephonic contact with their families and have also been allowed visits by a few persons, including their near and dear ones. Moreover, sources said the Taliban leaders had been shifted to roomier facilities from various detention centres and they are now at somewhat comfortable places. In a significant related development, Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Zalmai Rassoul is arriving today (Friday) to discuss the various aspects of Afghan peace and reconciliation process with Pakistani leadership. A Foreign Office statement on Thursday said Dr Rassoul would visit Islamabad on the invitation of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar for bilateral talks. A diplomatic source, however, said the release of Mullah Baradar by Islamabad would top the agenda of Afghan foreign minister’s visit to Pakistan. The release of Baradar and other important Taliban leaders by Islamabad had been a longstanding demand of Kabul and the Afghan foreign minister would once again urge the Pakistani leadership for that during his talks, the source said. The prison relaxations to Taliban leaders by Pakistan is yet another important gesture towards peace in Afghanistan as a few days back, Islamabad set free several mid-level Taliban leaders during the visit of a delegation of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council to Islamabad. The delegation of the Afghan Peace Council was headed by the council’s chief Salahuddin Rabbani and it welcomed Pakistan’s decision of releasing the Taliban detainees. The release of Taliban detainees was also welcomed as an important development by the Afghan government, but it also wants the senior Taliban leaders like Baradar to come out soon of Pakistani prisons so that they could use their ‘good offices’ for the success of Afghan reconciliation process with the Taliban leadership. The sources said Pakistan could also set free former Taliban justice minister Mullah Turabi, who was reportedly ill and was also expected to be released earlier with the mid-level Taliban detainees.
However, he said nothing could be said about the release of Mullah Baradar and other key leaders, adding that Pakistan would first like to see the impact of freedom of the mid-level Taliban leaders on the Afghan insurgent movement before making any decision on the fate of other Taliban in its custody.
Security officials concerned could not be reached for comment.