Pakistan Taliban want prisoners released before ceasefire talks

Pakistan Taliban has demanded release of number of prisoners as a pre-condition to ceasefire talks with Pakistani government, Reuters said quoting sources within Pakistan Taliban.

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan or TTP and separate from the Afghan Taliban, have had two rounds of preliminary talks, facilitated by the Afghan Taliban, a commander based in the Afghan province of Kunar said.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of Haqqani network and current interior minister of Taliban government in Afghanistan is helping the talks

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The TTP, which combines a number of jihadi and militant groups that have been fighting the government of Pakistan since 2007, is included on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organisations.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told Turkey's TRT television last month that government was in talks with parts of the TTP as part of a "reconciliation process".

The release of the prisoners is meant to be a confidence-building measure, three TTP commanders said, adding that the outcome of the talks was still uncertain.

"We aren't too hopeful of the immediate results of the talks but our leaders had demanded the release of prisoners if they are sincere in meaningful negotiations," a TTP commander told Reuters from Afghanistan's Kunar province.

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No comment was available from the Pakistani government. The interior ministry, foreign ministry and the ISPR, the armed forces communications wing, did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

According to negotiators, the two sides agreed not to issue statements either supporting or opposing the peace process or against each other till the accord is signed and made public.

TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani said in a text message the group had "never refused meaningful talks" but that there were no developments on the ground yet.

TTP attacks have killed and wounded thousands of civilians and Pakistani service personnel over the years but the group was badly weakened by the Pakistan military's Zarb-e-Azb operation in 2014 which drove it from its stronghold in North Waziristan.

(With inputs from agencies)