Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan denies reports of release of prisoners
A spokesman for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has denied reports that the Pakistani government has released 100 prisoners belonging to the organization.
TTP spokesman Mohammad Khorasani said that a formal series of talks with the government has not started yet.
There have been reports in the Pakistani media that the Pakistani government has released about 100 Taliban prisoners from detention centers in a spirit of goodwill.
The release quoted security sources as saying that the release was not carried out under any demand from the Taliban but to create a conducive environment for talks.
Senior journalist Jamshed Baghwan told the BBC that according to his information, the prisoners had been released from detention centers with only a few months left in their formal release and most of them had even reached their homes.
He claimed that according to his sources, the release of the prisoners was not done under the demands or conditions of the Taliban but as a gesture of goodwill.
A spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) told the BBC that no prisoners belonging to their organization had been released.
Mohammad Khorasani said that if the negotiating committees from both the sides have not sat face to face till now, then it would be premature to discuss the terms and conditions. He said that no conditions have been put forward by the TTP so far.
It may be recalled that a few days ago, Abdul Wali Mohmand alias Omar Khalid Khorasani, a powerful commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had told the BBC that progress could be made in these talks only if the demands of TTP were accepted by the government of Pakistan. I still demand the release of imprisoned comrades of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Jamshed Baghwan said that his information was that formal talks had not started yet and no conditions or demands had been raised by the Taliban so far.
A tribal leader from Waziristan, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there had been contacts between the two sides for talks and some contacts had been made directly. He said that in these contacts sometimes committees have been involved and sometimes there has been a series of individual messages.
He said that so far contacts were taking place in a good atmosphere and efforts were being made to finalize the peace agreement.
A month-long ceasefire was announced between the government of Pakistan and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on November 8. Leading Taliban leaders in the Afghan government are mediating the talks. The TTP had issued a formal statement regarding the ceasefire.
What did the declaration say?
The statement said, "Since the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is an Islamic jihadist movement made up of the Pakistani people, it has always considered the national interest along with other important issues. No force can deny this, therefore Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is ready for such talks, which will lead to lasting peace in the country and provide our Pakistanis with springs of peace on the one hand and the goal of Pakistan on the other. Could also be obtained.
The statement said that the parties have agreed to set up negotiating committees, which will try to move forward the next course of action and the negotiation process on the demands of the parties. The two sides will have a month-long ceasefire from November 9 to December 9, which will be further extended with the consent of both parties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is playing the role of mediator between the TTP and the government of Pakistan in the current negotiation process.