Kidnappers of Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin have demanded the release of a key Taliban leader and a few other Pakistani and Afghan colleagues, a highly placed source told Dawn on Saturday.

A video showing Azizuddin asking the Pakistan government to meet the demands of his abductors, including the release of some Taliban cadres, was aired by the Al Arabiya TV channel on Saturday. The militants holding Azizuddin, his driver and bodyguard had demanded the release of Taliban leader Mullah Obaidullah Akhund, widely considered to have been the military chief of the Taliban and who once carried a reward of one million dollars on his head.

They have also demanded the release of five or six other Pakistani and Afghan militants held by Pakistani authorities.