Pakistan frees Taliban prisoners for peace process
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan freed several Taliban prisoners at the request of the Afghan government Wednesday, a move meant to facilitate the process of striking a peace deal with the militant group in neighboring Afghanistan, Pakistani officials said.
The release of the prisoners — described as mid- and low-level fighters — is the most encouraging sign yet that Pakistan may be willing to help jumpstart peace talks that have mostly gone nowhere, hobbled by distrust among the major players involved, including the United States.
Pakistan is seen as key to the process because of its historical ties to the Taliban and because many of the group’s leaders are believed to be based on Pakistani territory, having fled there following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
Wednesday’s release of the Taliban militants came in response to a personal request by Salahuddin Rabbani, the head of an Afghan government council for peace talks with the Taliban, said a Pakistani government official and an intelligence official. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media about the release.
Now its Afghanistan’s turn to ‘free’ Fazlullah.
Haqqani Network has said that it was ready to participate in peace talks with the Afghan government and with the US under the Taliban. If the US remains compelled to pull out of Afghanistan due to financial strain, Karzai and Obama should engage the warring forces a credible chance to sit across the negotiating table for a meaningful dialogue.
While the US tries to fix its issue through negotiations, back at home, let us thrash the ‘Taliban Khan.’
Re: Pakistan frees Taliban prisoners for peace process
It might be a reasonable move. This is what I think:
In Afghanistan, the word Taliban is/was pretty much synonymous with Pashtuns. That's why almost every Pashtun quickly supported Taliban when it appeared, and every non-Pashtun severely opposed Taliban.
While most Pakistanis used to consider Taliban Islamic religious warriors (many of us still do), most Afghanis took Taliban movement as Pashtuns trying to dominate them.
In order to create rift between the concept of being a Pashtun and Taliban, it might be good to let go of some low level or medium level Pashtuns who fought for Taliban. If there is hope that they are not die hard Taliban ideologists then they may very well be involved in some negotiations, so that they stay away from influence of Taliban leadership.
If Pashtuns in Afghanistan get a hope that their rights could be guanrateed without Taliban then it will be a big success in Afghanistan.
Re: Pakistan frees Taliban prisoners for peace process
Is this part of the deal between US and Afghan Talibans?
I think it is an attempt to create rift in Taliban. There are some ideologists who will NEVER listen to anyone. They will either kill others or die fighting.
If there are some people among Taliban willing to accept democratic Afghan government with representatives from all ethnic and religious groups then it means that they are not such ideologists.
Re: Pakistan frees Taliban prisoners for peace process
You talk as if you have spoken to every Pashtun in Afghanistan. Your statement is completely ignorant. Not all Pashtuns supported Taliban - some supported various other militias and many also supported more liberal and secular ideologies. Some were also royalists. How many Pashtuns actually supported the Taliban can never be known fully. They may have got less resistance from Pashtun areas but thats a different issue. By the way many non-Pashtun militias including the Hazaras had actually made deals with the Taliban to at some stages.
It might be a reasonable move. This is what I think:
In Afghanistan, the word Taliban is/was pretty much synonymous with Pashtuns. That's why almost every Pashtun quickly supported Taliban when it appeared, and every non-Pashtun severely opposed Taliban.
While most Pakistanis used to consider Taliban Islamic religious warriors (many of us still do), most Afghanis took Taliban movement as Pashtuns trying to dominate them.
In order to create rift between the concept of being a Pashtun and Taliban, it might be good to let go of some low level or medium level Pashtuns who fought for Taliban. If there is hope that they are not die hard Taliban ideologists then they may very well be involved in some negotiations, so that they stay away from influence of Taliban leadership.
If Pashtuns in Afghanistan get a hope that their rights could be guanrateed without Taliban then it will be a big success in Afghanistan.
