After days of speculation, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirmed that the government has decided to free convicted terrorist Anas Haqqani in exchange for two foreign nationals, who were abducted in 2016. It is believed that they are currently held by the Haqqani Network in Pakistan. “Anas Haqqani is a criminal of the Afghan people and he should have been punished for the crimes he committed. Mr. Stanikzai also urged the U.S. government to crack down on insurgent forces in Pakistan, where the hostages are believed to be held currently. “Instead of pushing the Afghan government, they could have pressured the Pakistani government, where the Haqqani network is actually based.

Source: The Hindu November 16, 2019 16:07 UTC