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| India-Pakistan |
| Pak Taliban demand swap of top war prisoners |
| 2010-04-20 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Taliban have demanded the release of two top Afghan Taliban commanders in exchange of the release of two former agents of top Pakistani spy agency Inter Services Intelligence and two journalists, who went missing a fortnight ago in a restive tribal. Unknown militants sent emails to officials containing videos of retired Colonel Ameer Sultan, alias Colonel Imam, and retired Squadron Leader Khalid Khwaja, who along with two journalists were reported missing in Miramshah area of South Waziristan region. The military men reportedly provided assistance to those journalists in making a documentary film, but later reports suggested they were directed by former top military and current ISI officials to visit the area for contacting Taliban leadership. The Taliban threatened in their email to kill Imam and Khawaja if Islamabad did not release two top Afghan Taliban leaders, Mullah Abdul Kabir and Mullah Mansur Dadullah Akhund, believed to have been in government's custody. Kabir led the Peshawar Regional Military Council, one of the Afghan Taliban's top four regional commands. Akhund, also known as Mullah Bakht Mohammad, served as Taliban's former shadow governor of eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, and later as governor of Nangarhar during the Taliban's regime. He replaced his brother Mullah Dadullah Akhund as the top commander in southern Afghanistan during the summer of 2007. His status has been in doubt, but he was last reported to have been arrested by Pakistani security forces in January 2008. The video clips released by Taliban, and aired by a private TV channel, showed the two former spy operatives saying that they visited tribal areas upon orders by former Army Chief Gen. Aslam Baig and former DG ISI, Lt.Gen. Hamid Gul for contacting top Pakistani Taliban leadership including the new chief Waliur Rehman Mehsud. Khawaja was also quoted as saying he had directives from a serving ISI official, Col. Sajjad to visit the area. The identity of journalists were not released, however, one of them was stated to be a British national of Pakistani descent. The email message said Taliban would make further demands later. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 What a farce if the Pak Govt gives in! |
| Posted by: Kofi Thinese2517 2010-04-20 17:02 |