ISLAMABAD: In a bid to bring an end to the ongoing insurgency in Pakistan, the government has decided to free 13 more Taliban prisoners as a confidence building measure to carry forward its peace initiative, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday.
Speaking to media representatives after chairing a joint meeting of the government and Taliban negotiating committees, he urged the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership to reciprocate to the government’s action for the success of peace talks.
Khan said some of those being released by the government were on a Taliban list.
Progress at talks and venue and date for the next round of direct talks between the government team and Taliban were discussed at the joint meeting.
The minister told reporters that next round of talks will be held next week and the number of released prisoner may rise to 30 before that. The government released 19 prisoners earlier this month.
The government is holding talks with the Pakistani Taliban to bring an end to the ongoing insurgency in the country that's killed thousands of people in recent years. Splinter groups have continued their attacks despite the talks.
Meanwhile, Maulana Samiul Haq, head of the TTP coordination committee told media representatives that next round of direct talks with Taliban Shura will take place in a day or two. He hoped for further extension in ceasefire and complete restoration of peace in the country.
The chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-S), who is known as “Father of Taliban” in the West, said real peace talks are yet to commence as ongoing dialogues were only confidence building measures.
Earlier on Friday, the TTP had extended till April 10 the ceasefire earlier announced by it and expressed the hope that the government would reciprocate its ‘gesture’ with positive steps.
The extension came a day after the government had announced that it had released 19 non-combatant Taliban as a goodwill gesture for bolstering the peace process.