Hamid Karzai welcomes Mullah Beradar’s release

KABUL Abdul Ghani Beradar, according to a statement on Friday.

In a statement from his office, the former president expressed happiness and hailed the release of Mullah Beradar.

Karzai termed Beradar’s release a positive step in the way of Afghan peace and reconciliation efforts.

“During my government efforts were made for the release of key Taliban leaders, including Mullah Beradar, and the then High Peace Council (HPC) Head Salahuddin Rabbani also held a meeting with Mullah Beradar,” the former president said.

Karzai termed the move as a positive step and expressed the hope that freed and other Taliban leaders would get maximum advantage of the opportunity for bringing durable peace and unity of the people of Afghanistan.

One of the founders of the Taliban movement, Mullah Baradar was arrested by Pakistani and US forces in 2010 in Karachi. At the time, he was the deputy into the Taliban.

The development comes following talks between American diplomats and Taliban’s representatives in Qatar earlier this month on finding a negotiated settlement to the decades-old Afghan conflict.

nh