KABUL (SW) – The release of key Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani, commonly known as Mullah Baradar, after eight years of prison in Pakistan has sparked an array of opinions.
A number of political analysts believe that the release of the Mullah Baradar will not have much impacts on the Afghan peace talks. According to these analysts, a lot of changes have taken place in the leadership of the Taliban, and Mullah Baradar has lost his clout.
Javed Kohistani, an analyst, said that the changes in the Taliban ranks have eliminated Mullah Baradar’s role, but his freedom could have influenced peace talks during the reign of former president, Hamid Karzai.
Ferdous Kawash, another analyst, said the Taliban think they are militarily disoriented, and, as such, the liberation of Baradar would have little impact on the Afghan peace process.
But, Jafar Mahdavi, a writer and researcher, linked the release of Baradar from a Pakistani prison in the context of the Afghan peace process, saying that developments in a recent month show that the United States is serious about the peace talks with the Taliban.
Mullah Baradar was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2010, and was released last week from the Pakistani prison. The fifty-year-old was among the four key leaders of the Taliban who founded the group. After the fall of the Taliban, he took charge of their important Quetta Shura. Under the Taliban, he served as deputy minister for defence and following the fall of their regime, he served as deputy to their supreme leader, Mullah Omar.
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