Pakistan embassy in Kabul on Sunday confirmed the release of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the co-founder of the Taliban movement and Mullah Abdul Samad Sani, also called Samad Sani, a Taliban commander. According to local Afghan media, the news was shared by Pakistan's envoy to Kabul. Sources privy to security apparatus told the media that both commanders were released on the request furnished by U.S. special representative for Afghanistan.
The Taliban's co-founder and former second-in-command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, was released after high-level negotiations, according to Taliban. Baradar is one of four men, including Mullah Omar, who founded the Taliban movement in 1994. He served in several key positions when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001.
Ghani was arrested from Karachi back then in 2010. The Pakistan embassy in Kabul told TOLOnews that the step was taken following Pakistan's commitment to facilitate the Afghan peace process. Sources and the Taliban last week confirmed the release of Baradar who they said was now back with his family in Karachi after spending eight years in prison. However no details have been given on exactly when Baradar and Sani were released.
Meanwhile, the former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has welcomed the release of a number of senior Taliban leaders including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar from Pakistani jails. The Office of the President in a statement said the former President Hamid Karzai welcomes the Pakistani government's move regarding the release of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Mullah Mohammad Rasool, and some other Taliban leaders from the jails.
Karzai further added that the release of Taliban leaders from the jails is a positive step forward for the Afghan peace and stability in Afghanistan. He said efforts were also made during his tenure for the release of Mullah Baradar and Taliban leaders and conditions were also set for the meeting between the former Afghan High Peace Council Chief Salahuddin Rabbani and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
Karzai expressed hopes that the Taliban leadership would make good use of the opportunity which has been made available with the release of Mullah Baradar and take effective steps in coordination with the efforts of the Afghan people to bring peace and stability in the country.
The move was met by mixed reaction in Kabul. One former Taliban member said it was a positive step in terms of facilitating continued talks between Taliban, US and Pakistan while a political affairs analyst Mohamad Mutmaen said: "Pakistan released Mullah Baradar either due to US pressure or due to a goodwill (gesture) between US and Taliban. I think this shows goodwill by the US, Taliban and other countries for peace."
Neither government nor the High Peace Council have yet commented but some political figures said the release of Baradar will prolong the war in Afghanistan, and will not help achieve peace. "So far Pakistan is not ready to give up on its previous strategies and the release of him (Baradar) means the continuation of war. Same as the martyrdom of General Raziq is the continuation of war, the release of Mullah Baradar is also the continuation of war," said Ahmad Wali Massoud, head of Ahmad Shah Massoud Foundation.
Last week, a former member of Meshrano Jirga, Afghanistan's Upper House of Parliament, Amanullah Azami said: "Mullah Baradar should be freed in real and no doubt he can play a positive role in peace because he was a prisoner of peace."
Sources said last week that Baradar was released after the intervention of Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghanistan's Reconciliation, who visited Kabul twice this month to discuss peace talks with Afghan leaders.
Baradar is a co-founder of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. He was Mullah Mohammed Omar, the founding leader of the Taliban's deputy. Omar's death was confirmed in October 2016.
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