Pakistan freed a group of Afghan Taliban yesterday in an attempt to improve its troubled relations with the South Asian neighbour, but risked angering Afghanistan by not handing them over directly to the Kabul authorities.

The announcement followed last month’s trip by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan, where he sought the handover of some Afghan insurgents as part of the stalled peace process.

Both Karzai and the US want Pakistan to hand the insurgents directly to the Afghan authorities, but on Saturday, a group of seven Taliban was simply allowed to walk out of their cells into Pakistan.

“In order to further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process, Pakistan is releasing seven Taliban detainees,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.

A ministry spokesman separately said all seven, including a senior commander called Mansoor Dadullah, were freed yesterday.

Asked if they had been handed over to the Afghan authorities or were just released in Pakistan, the spokesman said: “Just released.”

The releases received a lukewarm reception in Afghanistan, with the government describing it as a “small step” and calling for the release of more senior Taliban members.