Kabul to free top Taliban commanders in swap deal

PESHAWAR Afghan authorities have decided to release some top Taliban commanders in exchange for envoy to Pakistan who was kidnapped by militants in 2008 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Afghan sources, the release of abducted envoy Abdul Khaliq Farahi is expected soon as the Afghan government has decided to release Taliban commanders and removing their names from black list. The negotiations by Afghan government with Taliban for release of Abdul Khaliq Farahi, are in progress at an undisclosed location and there are reports of his release soon. Adequate progress has been made during the talks with Taliban. We had been negotiating release of Farahi for the last one year. Now there is prospect of his release as Afghan authorities are considering exchanging some Taliban commanders for him, sources told TheNation. Few months back the abductors had released a video tape wherein he was shown pleading to authorities to accept the demands of his captors. Farahi, 53, was abducted by armed men from the Hayatabad area of Peshawar in September 2008. His driver was shot dead by the kidnappers. The diplomat, who hails from Afghanistans western Farah province, served as the Consul General in Quetta after the fall of the Taliban regime in Kabul. In April 2002, he was appointed as Consul General in Peshawar and served in the position for six years. In August 2008, he was named as Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan. He was kidnapped before he could present his credentials.