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2 Taliban leaders swap for Canadian journalist
Akhtar Jamal
Islamabad—Two Taliban leaders held in Afghanistan on charges of
terrorism and murder of foreign troops have been released in
exchange of a Canadian journalist kidnpapped about a month ago and
was freed on Saturday.
According to reports reaching here from Afghanistan Ms.Mellissa
Fung, a journalist working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC)
in Afghanistan, was freed on Saturday only after two Taliban leaders
were freed from jail and taken to the mountains West of Kabul. NATO
and Afghan officials were not ready to make any comment.
Ms. Fung is expected to leave Kabul Monday for home after undergoing
a medical checkup. Canadian news women Fung had been working on a
Special Assignment in the southern city of Kandahar before her
abduction.
Fung was abducted by “armed men” presumed to be supporters of
Taliban at a UN refugee camp in the outskirts of Kabul on October 12
and got freedom after intense negotiations with Taliban source in
Afghanistan and abroad.
Afghan forces in Afghanistan initially claimed that the Candian
journalist was freed as s result of an operation while other sources
suspected that a “heavy ransom” was paid for her freedom. However an
Afghan source Sunday confirmed that she was released only after
Canadian and Afghan Governments had agreed to release the two
“dangerous militants”.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Sunday said that “hundreds of
Canadian and Afghan officials had been involved in the effort to
free Fung” but did not give any further details. Canadian Prime
Minister also called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to thank him for
his cooperation in the release of the journalist.
Canadian PM also thanked media organizations for agreeing to a
request from the CBC to respect a news blackout until the case had
been resolved.
