<p>Pakistan today released former Afghan Taliban deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, meeting a long-standing demand of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to advance peace efforts in the war-ravaged country.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Baradar will not be handed over to any second country and like other detainees, he has been released within Pakistan.<br /><br />He will be provided with security and will be given the freedom to meet and communicate with anybody he wishes, media reports here said.<br /><br />The Pakistan Foreign Office had yesterday announced that he will be released today to "further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process".<br /><br />Baradar has been in the custody of Pakistani security agencies since his capture in Karachi in 2010.<br /><br />He is the highest ranking Afghan Taliban prisoner freed so far.<br /><br />Though Islamabad has freed 33 Afghan Taliban commanders since last year, Baradar's release was the most anticipated.<br /><br />His release was personally sought by Karzai during his last month visit to Islamabad.<br />Analysts are skeptical whether Baradar will be able to influence the peace process, but the Afghan government thinks he could lead talks with the High Peace Council.<br /><br />Kabul feels Baradar is a key figure of its efforts to kick-start the stalled peace process as most NATO combat troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.<br />Baradar was once considered the most influential Taliban leader after Mullah Muhammad Omar.<br /><br />One of the four commanders who founded the Taliban movement, he was the leader responsible for the day-to-day campaign against US and NATO troops until his capture by a joint team of CIA and Pakistani intelligence operatives.<br /><br />Afghan officials have said that at the time of his arrest, Baradar was holding talks with the Afghan government.<br /><br />However, Pakistani intelligence was reportedly angered by his failure to inform them about these talks.<br /><br />The US initially hailed his arrest as a blow to the Afghan insurgency but found out later that Pakistani agencies allegedly captured Baradar to scuttle the secret peace talks.<br /><br />Born in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, Baradar fought in the war to expel Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the 1980s.<br /><br />When the Taliban came to power in 1996, Baradar became deputy defence minister.<br /><br />After the Taliban regime was toppled by US-led forces in 2001, hundreds of Taliban hardliners fled over the border to Pakistan. Baradar was among them.</p>
<p>Pakistan today released former Afghan Taliban deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, meeting a long-standing demand of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to advance peace efforts in the war-ravaged country.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Baradar will not be handed over to any second country and like other detainees, he has been released within Pakistan.<br /><br />He will be provided with security and will be given the freedom to meet and communicate with anybody he wishes, media reports here said.<br /><br />The Pakistan Foreign Office had yesterday announced that he will be released today to "further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process".<br /><br />Baradar has been in the custody of Pakistani security agencies since his capture in Karachi in 2010.<br /><br />He is the highest ranking Afghan Taliban prisoner freed so far.<br /><br />Though Islamabad has freed 33 Afghan Taliban commanders since last year, Baradar's release was the most anticipated.<br /><br />His release was personally sought by Karzai during his last month visit to Islamabad.<br />Analysts are skeptical whether Baradar will be able to influence the peace process, but the Afghan government thinks he could lead talks with the High Peace Council.<br /><br />Kabul feels Baradar is a key figure of its efforts to kick-start the stalled peace process as most NATO combat troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.<br />Baradar was once considered the most influential Taliban leader after Mullah Muhammad Omar.<br /><br />One of the four commanders who founded the Taliban movement, he was the leader responsible for the day-to-day campaign against US and NATO troops until his capture by a joint team of CIA and Pakistani intelligence operatives.<br /><br />Afghan officials have said that at the time of his arrest, Baradar was holding talks with the Afghan government.<br /><br />However, Pakistani intelligence was reportedly angered by his failure to inform them about these talks.<br /><br />The US initially hailed his arrest as a blow to the Afghan insurgency but found out later that Pakistani agencies allegedly captured Baradar to scuttle the secret peace talks.<br /><br />Born in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, Baradar fought in the war to expel Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the 1980s.<br /><br />When the Taliban came to power in 1996, Baradar became deputy defence minister.<br /><br />After the Taliban regime was toppled by US-led forces in 2001, hundreds of Taliban hardliners fled over the border to Pakistan. Baradar was among them.</p>