US releases five from Gitmo to free its only POW soldier in Afghanistan

Washington, Jun 1: The only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan has been freed from Taliban captivity in exchange for the release of five Afghan detainees from the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to US special forces by the Taliban Saturday evening local time, in an area near the Pakistan border. Officials said the 28-year-old was in good condition and able to walk.

President Barack Obama said Bergdahl's recovery was “a reminder of America's unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield”.

The handover followed indirect negotiations between the US and Taliban, with the government of Qatar serving as the go-between. Qatar is taking custody of the five Afghans released. The detainees can't leave Qatar for at least one year.

According to a senior official with Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel in Singapore, once Bergdahl climbed onto a helicopter, he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate the letters ‘SF?' — asking the troops if they were special operations forces. They shouted back over the roar of the rotors: “Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time.”

Then, according to the official, Bergdahl broke down.

Bergdahl is believed to have been held by the Haqqani network since June 30, 2009. The US believes he was being held for a bulk of the time in Pakistan.

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Pak jail authorities say Imran Khan is alive and healthy after ‘murder’ rumours spark panic

News Network

November 27,2025

Authorities at Pakistan’s high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday dismissed speculation about the condition of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, rejecting rumours that he had been moved out of the facility or was in danger. Officials said Khan was in “good health” and described the viral death claims as “baseless.”

“There is no truth to reports about his transfer from Adiala Jail,” the Rawalpindi prison administration said in a statement, according to Geo News. “He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention.”

Amid swirling rumours on social media, Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urged the federal government to issue an official clarification and demanded that authorities allow his family to meet him immediately, Dawn reported.

The frenzy began after Khan’s three sisters called for an impartial probe into what they described as a “brutal” police assault on them and other PTI supporters outside Adiala Jail last week. Soon after, several social media handles circulated unverified claims alleging that Khan had been “killed” inside the prison.

The rumours intensified when a handle named “Afghanistan Times” claimed that “credible sources” had confirmed Khan’s “murder” and that his body had been moved out of the jail — allegations that have not been verified by any credible agency.

Imran Khan, PTI’s patron-in-chief, has been lodged in the Rawalpindi prison since August 2023 in multiple cases. For over a month, an undeclared restriction has prevented family members and senior PTI leaders from meeting him. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has reportedly been denied access despite making seven attempts.

In a letter to Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar, Khan’s sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan — said they were “peacefully protesting” outside the jail when police allegedly launched an unprovoked assault after streetlights were switched off.

“At 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown to the ground and dragged across the road,” Noreen Niazi said, alleging that other women present were also slapped and manhandled.

Adiala Jail officials reiterated that speculation over Imran Khan’s health was unfounded and insisted that his well-being was being ensured, Geo News reported.

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