The Afghan Taliban today claimed that their former deputy chief, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is still under detention in Pakistan despite official announcements about his release last month.
"It is very sad that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is still spending days and nights behind bars in Pakistan and we are deeply concerned about his health condition which is deteriorating by the day," Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Baradar's family and his sympathisers consider freedom as Baradar's right and we want his immediate release on Islamic and humanitarian grounds," he said in a statement in Pashto posted on the group's website.
On September 21, Pakistan had announced that Baradar had been released to boost the reconciliation and peace process in Afghanistan. Baradar was arrested in Karachi in February 2010 by a joint team of Pakistani and US intelligence operatives.
The Afghan Taliban had not commented on Baradar's release till now. Spokesman Mujahid said that though senior Pakistani officials had formally announced the release, Baradar "has not yet been set free".
"As senior Pakistani officials have repeatedly announced his release, we seriously demand that they clarify what they mean by release. They should honour their commitment about Baradar's release," the militant spokesman said.
Sources close to Baradar's family and several Taliban officials had earlier told The Express Tribune newspaper that the Taliban leader had not re-joined his family since Pakistan announced his release.
Afghan leaders too were not fully convinced by the announcements of his release, the daily reported. President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that Baradar still does not enjoy complete freedom and expressed hope that Pakistan will give him an opportunity to play a role for peace in Afghanistan.
"We know that his family members have contact with him and we are trying to contact him, or find a telephone number, so we can use him for the peace process," Karzai said during a news conference in Kabul.
Afghan analysts believe that Baradar could play an influential role and help revive the stalled Qatar talks process if there are no restrictions on him.
Afghanistan has been demanding Baradar's release since he was arrested in 2010 after holding secret peace talks with the Afghan government.
Pakistan has freed at least 33 Afghan Taliban commanders since last year at the Afghan government's request.
