Pakistan will consider freeing former Afghan Taliban second-in-command Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar if current releases of lower level members help to advance peace efforts, officials from both countries said on Thursday, as Pakistan released 13 Afghan Taliban members following negotiations with an Afghan peace delegation.
The officials said the most senior of those released is Anwar ul-Haq, a former militant commander in eastern Afghanistan. The others are believed to be mid-level operatives. Former Taliban justice minister Mullah Turabi, who was expected to be freed, remains detained. It is unclear what impact the releases might have on peace efforts.
According to BBC, four of the Taliban were freed on Tuesday, during negotiations between Pakistan and the Afghan High Peace Council, and nine on Wednesday, after talks were extended by a day. The location of the freed detainees has not been disclosed. “After releasing 13 Taliban, Pakistan promised to free Mullah Baradar if these releases prove effective in peace negotiations,” a senior Afghan official close to talks between Islamabad and Kabul told Reuters. Afghanistan has been pushing Pakistan to release Afghan Taliban captives who could provide leverage in any peace talks with the movement.
Kabul has long been suspicious of its powerful neighbour’s intentions. Pakistan has gained credibility in the Afghan peace process by agreeing to release mid-level Taliban over the last two days. But Pakistan is under growing pressure to free senior Taliban figures such as Baradar to boost reconciliation efforts, as most NATO combat troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and anxiety grows over the country’s security.
Afghan officials believe he may command enough respect to persuade the Taliban to engage in talks with the Kabul government.
Asked if Baradar would also be freed, a senior Pakistani Foreign Ministry official said that was possible if the release of the Taliban figures “produced results”. “We’ve released about a dozen mid-level Taliban commanders now. The impact of this on reconciliation efforts and the peace process will determine the number and pace of future releases, as well as releases of high-level prisoners.” In August, senior officials from both countries said Afghan delegates held secret talks with Baradar, who was caught in the Pakistani city of Karachi in 2010. The Afghan government believes Baradar is more open to dialogue than many of his comrades. It is not entirely clear whether Baradar would promote peace or war against President Hamid Karzai’s Western-backed government if he returns home.
As military chief of the Taliban, he supervised ambushes and roadside bombings that proved highly effective against some of the world’s most powerful armies. But he was also known as a leader that could secure compromises. In the months before his arrest, Baradar authorised contacts with United Nations representatives to explore the possibility of dialogue, former UN and Taliban members said. Afghan officials have often viewed Pakistan as a reluctant partner in its attempts to broker talks with the Taliban. They believe Pakistan is holding Baradar and other senior Taliban figures to influence any settlement of the Afghan war now in its 11th year. Afghans fear failure to secure a peace deal before 2014 could trigger a civil war, or give the Taliban a chance to seize power again. A senior Afghan official told Reuters last week that no breakthrough was expected anytime soon. The Taliban said in March they were suspending separate peace talks with the United States held in Qatar because of “vague” US statements.
It is sad to see that US still feels India has a key role in the stability of Afghanistan and can fill the gap when it leaves Afghanistan.
It has a certain role in the development of Afghanistan and no one wants to deny that but Mr Panetta's less than wise comment whilst vising India was a reflection of a lack of understanding of the realities on the ground by his department in particular and the US administration in general.
http://www.pakistantoday.mbt.pk/2012/11/16/news/n…
how many army men got shahadat during the capture of these talibans? you did free them as a gesture of peace, what abt those who received shahadat? they died for nothing? how many innocent ppl these taliban killed? they died for nothing?
I give you rough data
Pakistan lost more than50000 civilians, 5 000 soldiers in this war.2 lakh or more people have been seriously injured in this war and passing extremely difficult timesf with heir families. 3 to 4million people have been displaced and settled in other areas of Pakistan creating serious social problems.Pakistan has spent more than 200 billion dollars arms and ammunition in this war siding our human development and welfare in dark corner and our military leaders are enjoying this peace deals or honorable exit of Raymond Davis like killer.
The question people need to ask themselves in Pakistan; whether they dealt with this issue effectively and what could have they done not to get embroiled in this war which was neither of their choosing nor of their making. Finally how should they address this problem long term.
first pardon their people who are sent on war zones then bring out all who are":missed "by our agencies.then try to Stop promoting war culture by declaring that this is not our war and also try to bring all top mullahs on lock ups so that their fanatic followers will not reach to them as we are seeing in case of missing people.
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