ISLAMABAD: A top Taliban commander held in Pakistani detention for more than eight years has been freed, sources said on Thursday, in an apparent move to aid tentative talks between the United States and the group.
The release of Abdul Ghani Baradar — the former right-hand man of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, who died in 2013 — came less than two weeks after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the group’s representatives to discuss ending the Afghan conflict.
Baradar was among several senior Taliban leaders freed this week, after the Taliban demanded their release in direct talks with Khalilzad on October 12, a senior Taliban leader said on the condition of anonymity.
“We believe that they were released at the US’s request,” the leader said.
He said Baradar would likely stay in Pakistan and shuttle between the Taliban’s Doha office, Kabul and Islamabad.
“It was important for confidence building and all three will participate in the next round of talks with the US in Qatar,” he added. — AFP
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