Pakistan and Afghanistan Free 18 Taliban Prisoners
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(ISLAMABAD) — In what was seen in part as a gesture of good faith, Pakistan and Afghanistan freed 18 members of the Taliban from custody late last week.
Their release came at the consternation of U.S. officials who fear that some of the former Taliban prisoners will return to the group that seeks to overthrow the governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Seven Taliban prisoners were released by Islamabad, with the Afghan government’s urging, in an effort to jumpstart the dormant peace process.
However, Pakistan did not free Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a top Taliban military commander, who the Afghans say is a key ingredient to help facilitate peace talks. Baradar was initially arrested in a joint operation with American forces.
Meanwhile, Afghan officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they released 11 Taliban members to win freedom for Fariba Ahmadi Kakar, a female parliament member abducted last month by militants while driving with her children in Kandahar. A joint NATO-Afghan operation managed to free the children.
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