Former Taliban officials released by puppet-pakistani regime

Both Afghan and Pakistani officials confirmed on Monday the release of former Taliban officials.

Former Taliban governor of the Helmand province, Abdul Bari was also among those released.

Islamabad made the decision in response to an appeal by Kabul.

The Afghan government is trying to start formal peace talks with the militant group and hopes the release of Taliban prisoners help promote reconciliation before most US-led combat forces carry out their scheduled withdrawal from Afghanistan before the end of 2014.

Pakistan has freed several Taliban figures in recent weeks at the request of the Afghan government.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has formed a peace council to lead talks with the Taliban.

The council has been making efforts to initiate dialogue with militants who have been fighting US-led forces and Kabul’s Western-backed government.

Karzai said earlier that some Taliban leaders had already held talks with officials from the Kabul administration. No details, however, have so far been revealed about the alleged negotiations.

Top American commanders had confirmed the role of US-led foreign forces in taking Taliban leaders to Kabul for talks.

Taliban leaders have repeatedly said that the militant group will never hold talks with authorities in Kabul as long as US-led forces are present in Afghanistan.

The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext of combating terrorism.

The invasion removed the Taliban from power, but the war went on to cause record-high civilian and military casualties and now, years into the invasion, insecurity rages on across the violence-scarred country. The US-led war has become the longest military conflict in the American history.

The escalating human cost of the war is putting a great deal of pressure on the members of the US-led military alliance of NATO to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan.