Freed Taliban prisoners return to fight Time is running out to find a political solution in Afghanistan. International forces will end combat operations next year, handing over more and more responsibility to Afghan troops. So far Afghan government hopes that the prisoner releases could kick start a stalled peace process have been disappointed. Most of those released have simply disappeared and are believed to be lying low with their families in Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta. A senior Afghan government official told The Daily Telegraph there had been little or no contact with them. "They are still under the control of the Pakistani authorities," he said. Afghan officials also maintain Mullah Nooruddin Toorabi, the former hardline Taliban justice minister and most senior prisoner freed so far, was badly tortured in Pakistani custody, even though a Taliban statement quoting him has denied he was mistreated. The Afghan official said: "Toorabi is very weak. He is not well, he is very sick, because of torture.