Date:18/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/18/stories/2008051855561300.htm

International

Taliban releases Pakistan envoy

Nirupama Subramanian

Tariq Azizuddin

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kabul Tariq Azizuddin was freed on Saturday by his Taliban captors, three months and five days after he was abducted in the Khyber tribal area on the highway to Afghanistan.

Mr. Aziuziddin was released in the South Waziristan, far from the area near Peshawar, where he was kidnapped on February 11. It was not clear if his release was linked to the prisoner exchange in the peace agreement being negotiated by the government with the Tehreek-i-Taliban, an umbrella group of militants headed by the South Waziristan-based warlord Beithullah Mehsud. The government is mum over the details of Mr. Azizuddin’s release, except for confirming that he had been set free by his captors. But it came after security forces released more than 30 militants in exchange for 12 soldiers earlier this week in South Waziristan, and on Friday, another exchange of 25 suspected militants for eight soldiers in North Waziristan.

Mr. Aziziuddin was reportedly captured on the Torkham highway to Afghanistan, and was later transferred to the custody of Tehreek-i-Taliban. In addition, troops began pulling out of South Waziristan on Friday, although the Army has described it as a “readjustment and relocation of troops.”

The withdrawal was a key precondition by the Taliban militants in the ongoing negotiations for a peace agreement, which the U.S. and NATO are viewing with alarm. Their concern is that in return for guarantees of not carrying out attacks against Pakistani security forces or terrorist strikes in Pakistani territory, the peace agreement would ease the military pressure on the Taliban to do as they please across the border in Afghanistan. The agreement reportedly demands no guarantees from the militants against cross-border infiltration.

The New York Times reported that Pakistan has been telling the U.S. that preventing attacks in Afghanistan was NATO’s job. Negotiations are continuing despite an American predator attack in the Bajaur tribal agency that killed 18 persons and that the Tehreek-i-Tailban has vowed to avenge.