Pakistan releases two Talibani terrorists as US envoy visits region

The release of Abdul Samad Sani comes as US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad launched a second tour of the region , with stops in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates as well as Qatar where the Taliban maintain a political office.

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2009 file photo, then-U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad, speaks to reporters at the United Nations headquarters. Taliban officials said Monday, Nov. 12, 2018 that Pakistan has released Abdul Samad Sani, a U.S.-designated terrorist who served as the Afghan Central Bank governor during the militants' rule, along with a lower-ranking commander named Salahuddin. It came as U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad launched a second tour of the region, with stops in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates as well as Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

New Delhi: Pakistan has released two Talibani terrorists while US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad makes his second visit to the country.  Abdul Samad Sani who is a US-designated terrorist and served as the Afghan Central Bank governor during the militants’ rule, was freed along with a lower-ranking commander named Salahuddin, the Associated Press reported citing Taliban officials. The Taliban members speaking on the condition of anonymity told the agency that the two were released on Monday. The release is being speculated as US’ efforts to revive peace talks with insurgent groups which now hold almost half of Afghanistan. Sani was in charge of the group’s insurgency the Afghan media said on Monday. He was captured by Pakistani forces two years back soon after Taliban’s key leader Mullah Mansour was killed in a drone attack in Pakistan’s Balochistan. When he was captured by Pakistan he was serving as financial in-charge of the Taliban movement. The release of Sani comes as US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad launched a second tour of the region , with stops in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates as well as Qatar where the Taliban maintain a political office. The insurgents said they met Khalilzad in Qatar last month. Khalilzad arrived in the region last Thursday and will return to Washington on Nov 20. When the US envoy last visited the region, Pakistan had released another Taliban leader named Abdul Ghani baradar.