By KUNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan swapped two top local Taliban leaders in exchange for its ambassador, kidnapped by militants while traveling to Kabul, a local daily newspaper reported in its edition on Wednesday.
Mullah Obaidullah Akhund and Mullah Mansoor Dadullah were released by the Pakistani government in a prisoner swap with the Taliban to secure the release of Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin, “the News TN” reported.
Both the militant leaders, most wanted by NATO command, were captured by Pakistani authorities in separate operations. Obaidullah, arrested on March 1, 2007, was the most senior Taliban figure captured to date, and was “considered by American intelligence officials to have been one of the Taliban leaders closest to Osama bin Laden,” as well as part of the “inner core of the Taliban leadership around the Mullah Muhammad Omar.” Dadullah, a senior Taliban figure, was wounded and captured along with five lieutenants by the Frontier Corps on February 11, 2008. The officials said that he was captured while crossing from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
Despite the fact that the government authorities have repeatedly denied the release, both militant leaders reached Afghanistan around two weeks back. Sources added that both were released along with hundreds of other militants to secure the release of Tariq Azizuddin and 35 Army officials.
When contacted, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik, denied any such prisoner swap between the Taliban and the Government of Pakistan, saying that not a single prisoner was released in return for the release of Ambassador.
The latter was kidnapped three months ago by the Taliban militants, as he traveled into the Pakistani tribal areas. He was released on May 15.