Afghanistan to request Pakistan to free more Taliban detainees

PanARMENIAN.Net - Afghanistan's top diplomat will press Pakistan Friday to free more Taliban detainees to help coax the militant group into peace negotiations to end the 11-year-old war, an official said, according to AP.

Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasoul will make the request during a one-day visit to Islamabad, according to an Afghan official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Rasoul's agenda ahead of the minister's talks with high-ranking Pakistani officials.

The cooperation of Pakistan, which has longstanding ties to the Taliban, is seen as key to jumpstarting the stalled Afghan peace process that has made little headway since it began several years ago.

With Afghan presidential elections and the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops looming in 2014, Afghanistan and its international allies are trying to push a peace process with the Taliban to bring an end to the conflict.

Afghanistan needs Pakistan's help in reaching out to top Taliban leaders, but still insists that peace talks be led by Afghans, saying it will fight those who try to interfere. Earlier this month, Pakistan released nine Taliban figures in a move that Afghanistan said was a positive, first step that showed Islamabad's support for the peace process.

Afghan officials have long sought the release of Taliban's former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was captured in Pakistan in 2010 because he reportedly was having secret talks with the Afghans.

While it's unclear whether the Taliban are interested in negotiating peace, the official maintained that there are indeed key Taliban figures who support a political process to end the violence.

Afghanistan wants Pakistan to encourage Taliban leaders to join the Afghan-led peace process and allow Taliban negotiators to travel to third countries for talks without detaining them or putting pressure on their families, the official said.