Pakistan may release Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy of Taliban supreme commander Mullah Omar, soon in the wake of recently concluded successful talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul.
It was during the visit of Rassoul on Friday that Pakistan agreed to free more Taliban prisoners in the future.
The move by Islamabad is being seen as a significant development to impress upon the Taliban to become part of the peace and reconciliation process with the Afghan government as well as the United States.
Pakistan’s decision about the release of more Taliban leaders was announced in a joint Pak-Afghan statement released by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry at the end of Afghan foreign minister’s visit to Islamabad, but it did not give any details on when the prisoners would be released or about their identity. There was also no word in the statement about the fate of Mullah Baradar, whose freedom is being demanded by Kabul for months now. Baradar was arrested in Pakistan in 2010.
Before the fresh decision on Taliban prisoners, Pakistan had released around 10 Taliban prisoners, a move that was welcomed by Kabul as a positive first step and also an indication that Islamabad was supportive of the Afghan peace process.
“Now that we have a successful visit by Foreign Minister Rassoul to Islamabad and his productive talks with Pakistani leaders, it is expected that Mullah Baradar will be set free soon. Also we may see some other Taliban leaders being set free by Islamabad,” said a diplomatic source, seeking anonymity.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have also set up a commission to look into the issue of prisoners and this body will start its work soon to expedite the whole process.The source said Afghanistan also wanted Pakistan to play a role of a “bridge” to reach out to various Taliban groups such as the Haqqani network, allegedly based in North Waziristan and currently the most powerful militant organisation associated with the Mullah Omar-led Taliban.
He said Pakistan was willing to play a role of a facilitator when it came to the Afghan reconciliation process, but it would not extend any guarantee about its success.
“To expect that Pakistan has full control over the Taliban is naïve, but Islamabad can use its ‘good offices’ for the success of the peace process in Afghanistan,” he said. A Pakistani official, however, declined to comment on the early release of Baradar, but said Pakistan was willing to play its due role and take all possible steps for the peace and stability in Afghanistan.
“We support the Afghan-led peace process and we will continue with that and Islamabad is willing to do whatever it can in this regard,” he said, while asking not to be named.
Let them all walk free and attach on us again and again……… CJP should take notice. These are criminals and govt has no power to release them.
Pakistan is committing a grave mistake by releasing these Taliban on Afghanistan's insistence.
Afghanistan will brainwash them against us and use them to harm us
Pakistan is a country created by the British. It is time things went back to the way they used to be: India and Afganistan
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