NOWSHERA: The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has demanded the release of up to 400 prisoners, the Chief of the Taliban negotiating team Maulana Samiul Haq told media persons in Nowshera on Thursday.
His statement came a day after the government negotiating team and the TTP Shura held their first round of direct peace talks in a remote area of North Waziristan. After the meeting, the TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid had said that the both sides had reached consensus on extending the ceasefire and on the exchange of non-combatants prisoners.
Both the government and the Taliban had agreed on taking the mediation process to its logical conclusion and expressed the hope that the process of goodwill gestures would begin soon, Maulana Sami said.
Maulana Sami further said that the exchange of demands should continue from both sides and that the Taliban’s nominated committee would meet with the government team on Friday for the holding of talks.
TTP refuses to release Syed Ali Haider Gilani, Shahbaz Taseer
Earlier according to media reports, the TTP refused to release the former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Syed Ali Haider Gilani and former Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s son Shahbaz Taseer.
However, the TTP told the government’s committee that they were ready to release Professor Ajmal, Vice-chancellor of the Islamia College University Peshawar, with a condition that the government would release their two men.
The TTP claimed that the Sindh government was committing atrocities against their prisoners.
