<p>Pakistan has quietly released three senior Afghan Taliban leaders, including a close aide of Mullah Omar, as part of efforts to facilitate the reconciliation process in Afghanistan.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"Yes, three more have been released. This is ongoing process as part of efforts to facilitate reconciliation," a top official told PTI on condition of anonymity last night.<br /><br />Mullah Abdul Ahad Jahangirwal, a former adviser of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar, Mullah Abdul Manan, a former Taliban governor in Helmand, and Mullah Younus, a former military commander, were the three who were freed.<br /><br />The release comes just few days after the government- backed peace negotiators visited Pakistan and met the senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.<br /><br />Media reports here quoted Taliban sources as saying that the three were "very important figures".<br /><br />Pakistan has also freed 10 other low-key Taliban detainees over the past few weeks.<br /><br />The number of freed Afghan Taliban militants since November has now crossed fifty.<br /><br />Those freed include Azeem Agha, former head of Kandahar Passport office, Muhammad Amin, Sardar, Nematullah, Inamullah, Janat gul, Adam Khan, Salahuddin, Syed Mehmood, Engineer Mehmood and Hayatullah.<br /><br />In September, Pakistan had released senior Taliban commander Mullah Baradar.<br /><br />While Pakistan has said Baradar has been released, the Taliban claim that their former commander remains under house arrest and has not returned to his family.<br /><br />The last week visit by the five-member delegation of the Afghan High Peace Council took place after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accepted a request by Afghan President Hamid Karzai seeking access to Baradar.<br /><br />Afghanistan believes Baradar is a key figure for its efforts to kick start the stalled peace process as NATO combat troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.<br /><br />He had been in custody in Pakistan since his capture in Karachi in 2010. He was once considered the most influential Taliban leader after Mullah Omar.<br /><br />Baradar was captured after Pakistani intelligence agencies were reportedly angered by his failure to inform them about his secret talks with the Afghan government.</p>
<p>Pakistan has quietly released three senior Afghan Taliban leaders, including a close aide of Mullah Omar, as part of efforts to facilitate the reconciliation process in Afghanistan.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"Yes, three more have been released. This is ongoing process as part of efforts to facilitate reconciliation," a top official told PTI on condition of anonymity last night.<br /><br />Mullah Abdul Ahad Jahangirwal, a former adviser of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar, Mullah Abdul Manan, a former Taliban governor in Helmand, and Mullah Younus, a former military commander, were the three who were freed.<br /><br />The release comes just few days after the government- backed peace negotiators visited Pakistan and met the senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.<br /><br />Media reports here quoted Taliban sources as saying that the three were "very important figures".<br /><br />Pakistan has also freed 10 other low-key Taliban detainees over the past few weeks.<br /><br />The number of freed Afghan Taliban militants since November has now crossed fifty.<br /><br />Those freed include Azeem Agha, former head of Kandahar Passport office, Muhammad Amin, Sardar, Nematullah, Inamullah, Janat gul, Adam Khan, Salahuddin, Syed Mehmood, Engineer Mehmood and Hayatullah.<br /><br />In September, Pakistan had released senior Taliban commander Mullah Baradar.<br /><br />While Pakistan has said Baradar has been released, the Taliban claim that their former commander remains under house arrest and has not returned to his family.<br /><br />The last week visit by the five-member delegation of the Afghan High Peace Council took place after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accepted a request by Afghan President Hamid Karzai seeking access to Baradar.<br /><br />Afghanistan believes Baradar is a key figure for its efforts to kick start the stalled peace process as NATO combat troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.<br /><br />He had been in custody in Pakistan since his capture in Karachi in 2010. He was once considered the most influential Taliban leader after Mullah Omar.<br /><br />Baradar was captured after Pakistani intelligence agencies were reportedly angered by his failure to inform them about his secret talks with the Afghan government.</p>