Pakistan Saturday released senior Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani following Afghan President Hamid Karzai's request to help revive stalled negotiation with the militant outfit, Pakistan's foreign ministry said.
Baradar, the second most senior leader in the Taliban hierarchy, was arrested in the Pakistani port city of Karachi in February 2010 in a joint raid by Pakistani and American intelligence agents.
Hamid had demanded Baradar's release during his visit to Pakistan late last month.
President Hamid has welcomed Pakistan's initiative to end 12 years long war in the country. Pakistan had earlier announced that Mullah Baradar would not be handed over to the Afghan government and he would be free to go anywhere.
Baradar fought the Soviet forces in the late 1980s and was one of the founding members of the Taliban movement after the militant group took over Kabul in 1996 after years of civil war.
Later, Baradar became a member of the so-called Quetta Shura, the movement's ruling council. He had served as deputy defense minister, corps commander Kabul and chief of military unit in Kandahar when the Taliban was in power in Kabul.
Pakistan has so far freed 33 Afghan Taliban members in 10 months.
(with inputs from IANS and ANI)
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