PESHAWAR: Chief Justice Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Dost Muhammad Khan has remarked that it appears that former Afghan Taliban second-in-command Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was released by the federal government under pressure from foreign agencies.
The PHC chief justice gave his remarks during proceedings of the missing persons’ case in Peshawar on Thursday.
Khan said that the president or the prime minister do not have the authority to free prisoners without due process. He said the Baradar should have been presented in court before his release.
The chief justice ordered that the court be informed under which laws Afghan Taliban leader was first arrested and then released by the government.
Baradar was captured from Karachi in February 2010 and is believed to be a close aide and one of the most trusted commanders of Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar. He was freed from fail by Pakistani authorities in September this year in order to further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process.