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| Afghanistan and Pakistan Release Taliban Militants | |
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| KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 18 Taliban prisoners, some of them prominent figures, were released by Pakistan and Afghanistan, with no guarantees that they would not rejoin the insurgency, Afghan and Pakistani officials said Saturday. | KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 18 Taliban prisoners, some of them prominent figures, were released by Pakistan and Afghanistan, with no guarantees that they would not rejoin the insurgency, Afghan and Pakistani officials said Saturday. |
| Pakistani officials said that they were releasing seven Taliban prisoners to facilitate the peace process, while Afghan officials said they had requested the releases and welcomed the move. | Pakistani officials said that they were releasing seven Taliban prisoners to facilitate the peace process, while Afghan officials said they had requested the releases and welcomed the move. |
| Afghan officials complained, however, that Pakistani officials had backed down on the expected release of one Taliban prisoner, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, formerly the top military commander of the insurgents’ movement. Afghan officials have long sought Mr. Baradar’s release, viewing him as crucial to restarting peace talks. | Afghan officials complained, however, that Pakistani officials had backed down on the expected release of one Taliban prisoner, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, formerly the top military commander of the insurgents’ movement. Afghan officials have long sought Mr. Baradar’s release, viewing him as crucial to restarting peace talks. |
| Separately, Afghan officials confirmed Saturday that the day before they had exchanged 11 Taliban prisoners to obtain the release of a female member of the Afghan Parliament, who had been kidnapped by the insurgents last month, according to an Afghan official involved in the prisoner exchange, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. | Separately, Afghan officials confirmed Saturday that the day before they had exchanged 11 Taliban prisoners to obtain the release of a female member of the Afghan Parliament, who had been kidnapped by the insurgents last month, according to an Afghan official involved in the prisoner exchange, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. |
| American officials are known to have been concerned about plans to release Taliban prisoners without any guarantees to make sure they do not return to combat roles, but a spokesman for the American Embassy in Kabul declined to comment. | American officials are known to have been concerned about plans to release Taliban prisoners without any guarantees to make sure they do not return to combat roles, but a spokesman for the American Embassy in Kabul declined to comment. |
| An official of the High Peace Council in Afghanistan said that the Pakistanis would not release Mr. Baradar, citing opposition from the Americans, who had arrested him in a joint operation with Pakistani forces. | An official of the High Peace Council in Afghanistan said that the Pakistanis would not release Mr. Baradar, citing opposition from the Americans, who had arrested him in a joint operation with Pakistani forces. |
| A spokesman for Afghanistan’s High Peace Council said the seven released by Pakistan were on a list provided by Afghan officials, which included Mr. Baradar. “For some reason, Pakistani officials did not release him,” he said. “The others have been released, and no conditions have been set on where they go.” | A spokesman for Afghanistan’s High Peace Council said the seven released by Pakistan were on a list provided by Afghan officials, which included Mr. Baradar. “For some reason, Pakistani officials did not release him,” he said. “The others have been released, and no conditions have been set on where they go.” |
| Most were expected to return to their families in Pakistan, he said. The releases were requested by the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, when he visited the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, for talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif two weeks ago. | |
| Among those released was Mansoor Dadullah, the brother of Mullah Dadullah, a notorious Taliban commander killed in an American airstrike. Mr. Dadullah had been captured along with four other Taliban officials by the Afghans, but then was released in exchange for the freedom of an Italian journalist in 2007. Mr. Karzai was widely criticized for the exchange, especially after the Italian journalist’s driver and interpreter, both Afghans, were beheaded by the Taliban despite the deal. Mr. Dadullah was arrested in Pakistan in 2008. | Among those released was Mansoor Dadullah, the brother of Mullah Dadullah, a notorious Taliban commander killed in an American airstrike. Mr. Dadullah had been captured along with four other Taliban officials by the Afghans, but then was released in exchange for the freedom of an Italian journalist in 2007. Mr. Karzai was widely criticized for the exchange, especially after the Italian journalist’s driver and interpreter, both Afghans, were beheaded by the Taliban despite the deal. Mr. Dadullah was arrested in Pakistan in 2008. |
| Others released by Pakistan on Saturday, according to Afghan officials, include Mullah Mohammadzai, a former Taliban shadow governor of Kandahar Province; Karimullah, who like many Afghans has one name and was a midlevel Taliban commander from Kandahar Province; and Abdullah Zakari, a Taliban commander formerly based in Quetta, Pakistan. | Others released by Pakistan on Saturday, according to Afghan officials, include Mullah Mohammadzai, a former Taliban shadow governor of Kandahar Province; Karimullah, who like many Afghans has one name and was a midlevel Taliban commander from Kandahar Province; and Abdullah Zakari, a Taliban commander formerly based in Quetta, Pakistan. |
| The 11 Taliban figures released from Pul-e-Charki Prison in Kabul on Friday by Afghan officials were transported to the Moqur district in Ghazni Province, where the insurgents had been holding Fariba Ahmadi Kakar, a member of the Afghan Parliament from Kandahar Province, who was kidnapped on Aug. 11. Both Afghan officials and the Taliban confirmed that Ms. Kakar was released Saturday in the exchange. | The 11 Taliban figures released from Pul-e-Charki Prison in Kabul on Friday by Afghan officials were transported to the Moqur district in Ghazni Province, where the insurgents had been holding Fariba Ahmadi Kakar, a member of the Afghan Parliament from Kandahar Province, who was kidnapped on Aug. 11. Both Afghan officials and the Taliban confirmed that Ms. Kakar was released Saturday in the exchange. |
| Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, contended that the female member of Parliament had been taken hostage in order to obtain the release of four women and two children. He described them as innocent relatives of insurgents, who had been held without charges for 10 years. “These people will not play any role in peace negotiations; they can start fires and worsen the security situation,” said Haji Agha Lalai, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, referring to Pakistan’s releases. “They are fighters, not peace negotiators.” | |
| The release of Mullah Baradar would be much more significant, both because of his prominence, and his supposed role as an intermediary with Afghan officials in nascent peace talks before his arrest in 2010. | The release of Mullah Baradar would be much more significant, both because of his prominence, and his supposed role as an intermediary with Afghan officials in nascent peace talks before his arrest in 2010. |
| Mohammad Ismail Qasimyar, who runs the foreign relations department at the High Peace Council, insisted that those released were political figures who were useful for the peace process. “Pakistan had imprisoned those Taliban leaders who believed in a political solution and were working for peace in the country, but they were instead targeted and put in jails in Pakistan,” Mr. Qasimyar said. | |
| “The Taliban are just killing time and preparing themselves for 2014 to retake the country,” said Ahmad Zia Massoud, a leading opponent of President Karzai. “Releasing them from prison just prolongs the war.” | “The Taliban are just killing time and preparing themselves for 2014 to retake the country,” said Ahmad Zia Massoud, a leading opponent of President Karzai. “Releasing them from prison just prolongs the war.” |
| An official of the Afghan Foreign Ministry, speaking on the condition of anonymity as a matter of policy, said the government welcomed the prisoner release as a “positive but small step.” | An official of the Afghan Foreign Ministry, speaking on the condition of anonymity as a matter of policy, said the government welcomed the prisoner release as a “positive but small step.” |
| “We expect additional and more significant steps by Pakistan in the future, steps that Pakistani leaders can easily take if they so decide, including the release of Mullah Baradar and other senior Taliban leaders currently in Pakistani jails,” he said. | “We expect additional and more significant steps by Pakistan in the future, steps that Pakistani leaders can easily take if they so decide, including the release of Mullah Baradar and other senior Taliban leaders currently in Pakistani jails,” he said. |
Salman Masood contributed reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan, and Taimoor Shah from Kandahar, Afghanistan. | Salman Masood contributed reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan, and Taimoor Shah from Kandahar, Afghanistan. |