The number of freed Afghan Taliban since November has now crossed fifty. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
"Yes three more Afghan Taliban leaders have been released," an official source told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.
"This is an ongoing process as part of efforts to facilitate reconciliation," the source said.
Another identified the freed Taliban to be Mullah Abdul Ahad Jahangirwal, a former adviser of Mullah Omar, Mullah Abdul Manan, a former Taliban governor in Helmand and Mullah Younus, a former military commander.
The release came just few days after the government-backed peace negotiators visited Pakistan and met the senior Taliban leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
"These are very important personalities," a Taliban leader told The Express Tribune when asked about the men.
Pakistan has also quietly freed ten other low-key Taliban detainees over the past few weeks, the Afghan Taliban claimed.
The number of freed Afghan Taliban since November has now crossed fifty.
Those quietly freed include Azeem Agha, former head of Kandahar Passport office, Muhammad Amin (Uruzgan), Sardar (Kandahar), Nematullah (Kandahar), Inamullah (Nangarahar), Janat gul (Baghlan), Adam Khan (Kandahar), Salahuddin (Khost), Syed Mehmood (Nangarhar), Engineer Mehmood (Nangarahar) and Hayatullah.
In September, Pakistan had released senior Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. While Pakistan says Baradar has been released, the Taliban claim that their former commander remains under house arrest and has not returned to his family.
COMMENTS (27)
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@ Bakhtyar Ghazi Khan
I am an Afghan Pashtun, you simpleton. I am not offended that you called me a Hindu because they are God's children too and at one point our forefathers were also Hindus.
However, I am offended at the fact that you think that only Pakistani Pashtuns reserve the right to comment om Pashtuns and issues related to them. You seem to forget that Pashtun kings, emperors and heroes all hailed from Afghanistan not Pakistan.
Za Pashtun yama aw der wiar kawam chi za yaw piawarai, shahghalai, turyalai, walar aw nangyalai Zalmai yama. If you speak Pashto then you will understand that I just defined the word Pashtun for you, but I doubt you know the language or culture of Pashtuns.
ET mods please allow my post, I have not written anything offensive in response to a personal attack and an insult to religion.
@Zalmai: Hindu, don't talk about Pukhtoon people. I am Pukhtoon and a proud Pakistani. We love Pakistan, it is our country. 75% of the world Pukhtoon population is Pakistani. We are proud of Pakistan Frontier Corps and Army for fighting terrorists from India and Afghanistans who attack Pukhtoons in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
@afsandayar I am located within 100 kms of India's Kund. N plant. What blast? Why do you guys make it look so spin doctored & lie compulsively, shame. ET mods; Please allow the comment, your role is to mend the ways of this state. Do the right thing.
@Taimoor: The question is not whether peace talks take place but on whose terms. US is talking purely on its terms. When Afghan Taliban put up a signplate that said Emirate of Afghanistan, they refused to negotiate. Also they have not started killing Haqqanis (who are aligned wit Afghan Taliban) and will continue to take out terrorists. Their peace process is not one where US lays down its arms but Afghan Taliban and Haqqanis can continue to attack.
Spot the difference? Inran Khan never cursed TTP when they killed Gen. Niazi. Ch. Nisar never said they had murdered the peace process.
@ Indian dude
Pashtun civilization is actually in a state of revival and awakening as a result of the pea brained strategic thinking of the Pak establishment. In other words, Pak establishment's strategies have backfired.
@ MK
Pakistan got paid for arresting and releasing these individuals by the US, they didn't do anyone any favors.
The best way to get release from pakistani jail is to act like a taliban !
Are we running so low on drone targets that we need them freed from jail?
In other news; PM Nawaz said, "Treat criminals as criminals"!! How else we would define hypocracy?
And he wants to make Pakistan progress!!
Great and sensible step by the govt of Pakistan... They people have nothing to do with the bomb blasts in Pakistan, Instead a third party is doing these in the name of these people. Since USA is leaving the region, its a good move by ISI and Pakistan to do negotiations and make life easy for themselves after-ward.
So they are releasing Afghan Taliban to help the Afghans forge a peace accord with them, yet we have heart attacks mentioning peace talks. Way to go media and this govt, your hypocrisy will never cease to amaze me.
Next year NATO forces are leaving Afghanistan and Pakistan is releasing Taliban .... looks like next year Taliban again will be ruling afghanistan or there will be a War again within Afghanistan for power.
FYI. (especially to Indian trolls)
All these guys are released after repeated requests and demands by Afghan Government/USA, who wants to talk to them to formulate a 2014 strategy. Afghan government does not want these guys in jail or tried in any court. Karzai personally requested release of Mulla Baradar when he visited Pakistan last time. Afghnas are also making statements of frustration that Pakistan is still not letting Mulla Baradar go completely free and that they cannot talk to him in privacy and freely.
Putting things in prospective, US has upped its drones killing Pakistani Taliban after Pakistan announced similar move to talk to its own version of Taliban. But Affghans/US show frustration that Pakistan is not letting Afghan Taliban go free for them to talk.
So this is a FAVOUR by Pakistan to honour requests by Afghan government as a good will gesture.
shame on pakistan
Just saw serial on times Now regarding 26/11 Mumbai attacks where pakistanis were denying any hand in attack and said the attack was some non state actor and they are hurting pakistan...Now we can see above how they are hurting pakistan....I pose the questions to all pakistanis here.....Please for god's sake speak the truth ..............are u in for terrorism or against terrorism...as u guys seems to be a lot confused?..............
ET...I have written nothing offensive..But I know normal pakistanis are good people..But I just want to understand what actually is there perspective in all this......we should atleat know what actually all this is about here in India....
Hence,Please do not censor my comment.....and If u did censor than God brace u....with Rose Petals..........
How open can be such duplicity by the state? Pakistani establishment never "released" Baradar. Just moved him from one safe house to another.
Party time for PTI workers.
its sad! They must have booked and executed for their attrocities in afghanistan and pakistan
This is absolutely shameful!! Bending down to the demands from the enemy! This is exactly why I feel happy when drones kill these barbarians otherwise our government always frees these dear angels.....!