Anas Haqqani’s release on the cards, Taliban says

An undated photo of Anas Haqqani. Anas is the brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani who is the leader of the Haqqani network and the Taliban’s deputy chief. (Supplied for AN)

• Statement follows two-day talks with representatives from the US and other countries
• Deal could be part of a prisoner exchange program initiated during the meeting

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s government is likely to release Anas Haqqani, widely known as the brother of Taliban’s deputy Chief, Siraj Haqqani, in a possible prisoner exchange deal, Taliban sources privy to the negotiations told Arab News on Friday.
Anas was captured by US’ security officials after he visited Qatar in October 2014. He was accompanied by another Taliban leader, Hafiz Rashid, who had gone to Qatar to meet five Taliban leaders who had been freed from Guantanamo prison.
The two were arrested at Bahrain’s airport and were later handed over to authorities in Afghanistan. The Taliban dismissed the reports of Anas release on Thursday claiming they are untrue. However, media reports released on the same day suggested that Anas had already been freed citing statements posted on social media.
In January last year, the Taliban offered to release two foreign hostages, identified as American University of Afghanistan’s professors — Kevin King from the US and Timothy Weeks from Australia -- in exchange for Anas and other Taliban prisoners in Kabul. King and Weeks were kidnapped in August 2016 in Kabul.
US’s special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad -- who led the team of American negotiators during the two-day talks with the Taliban in the UAE on December 17 and 18 -- had called for the release of the two professors, according to a Taliban official privy to the discussions.
A credible Taliban source told Arab News on Friday that Anas, who is imprisoned in the Bagram airfield, has been allowed to meet his uncle Mali Khan who was arrested by the Americans in Khost in 2011. "There had been discussions for an exchange deal. However, all sides have not reached any deal,” the source said, adding that restrictions on Anas and other Bagram's inmates have been eased with prisoners being allowed to meet each other.
In August 2016, an Afghanistan court had awarded the death sentence to Anas.