Pakistan frees top Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar

Pakistan on Saturday released senior Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to help push the peace process in Afghanistan, Pakistan's foreign ministry said.

Baradar, the second most senior leader in the Taliban hierarchy, was arrested in the Pakistani port city of Karachi in February 2010 in a joint raid by Pakistani and American intelligence agents, Xinhua reported.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai had demanded Baradar's release during his visit to Pakistan late last month.

Pakistan had earlier announced that Mullah Baradar would not be handed over to the Afghan government and he would be free to go anywhere.

Abdul Ghani Baradar is one of the founding members of the Taliban and had held several top military positions when the Taliban was in power in Kabul.

He had served as deputy defence minister, corps commander Kabul and chief of military unit in Kandahar.

Pakistan has so far freed 33 Afghan Taliban members in 10 months.