Taliban militants, who hold Afghan diplomat Abdul Khaliq Farahi as hostage in Pakistan, have conditioned his release to releasing 30 comrades from jail, a local newspaper reported Saturday.
"In a video message, Taliban demanded the release of 30 prisoners from Pul-e-Charkhi jail in Afghan capital Kabul and the U.S.-led Bagram prison north of the capital Kabul," Daily Outlook writes in its Saturday edition, Xinhua reported.
The daily quoted Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad Zahir Faqiri as saying, "It is a big concern for us. We have formed a special commission to follow up Mr. Farahi's kidnapping case."
Farahi, the ambassador designate of Afghanistan to Pakistan, was kidnapped some eight months ago from Pakistan and efforts by the two countries have yet to fruit.
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