PM welcomes release of two foreigner professors by Taliban

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday welcomed the release of two foreign professors by the Afghan Taliban and said Pakistan had facilitated the release.

The Taliban had held hostage American University of Afghanistan’s professors – Kevin King from the U.S. and Timothy Weeks from Australia, who Taliban had kidnapped in August 2016 from the Afghan capital Kabul.

The Taliban handed over the freed professors to the American officials in Naubahar district of Zabul province Tuesday afternoon, according to the Afghan media.

Three Taliban leaders were freed on Monday night under a prisoner swap deal. They were flown to Qatar where the Taliban have political headquarters, the Taliban sources told the media.

The Pakistani prime minister welcomed the release of the foreign professors in a series of tweets.

“Pakistan welcomes release of Profs Kevin King & Timothy Weeks in Afghanistan. We appreciate steps taken by all involved to make it possible. As part of the int community working to bring peace & end the suffering of the Afghan people, Pak has fully supported & facilitated this release as part of its policy of supporting initiatives for a negotiated political settlement of the Afghan conflict,” Khan tweeted.

He hoped that this step gives a boost of confidence to all parties involved to re-engage in the peace process, adding Pakistan remains committed to facilitating this peace process.

U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally called off peace process with the Taliban in early September, citing a Taliban-claimed attack that had killed an American soldier and 10 other people in Kabul.

The prisoner swap deal between the Taliban and the U.S. is considered as a major confidence building measure for the resumption of the stalled peace process.