Peace talks: Govt decides to release 12 'non-combatants'

TTP intermediary Professor Ibrahim says he has no confirmation of this decision.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Sunday decided to release 12 of the 'non-combatants' mentioned on a prisoners’ list provided by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), sources told Express News.

The TTP is said to have shared with government negotiators a list of Taliban ‘non-combatants’ – mostly women, children and the elderly – who they claim are in the custody of the security forces. The government has also called for the release of some high-profile figures held hostage by the TTP.

The release of ‘non-combatant’ detainees, as demanded by the TTP, has been a contentious issue from the outset – with some officials having earlier denied that security forces are even holding any non-combatants.

Sources said that the 12 prisoners government was likely to release in the next few days did not include any important commander.

TTP intermediary Professor Ibrahim said he has no confirmation of this decision and that he can only ask TTP to release prisoners held in their custody once he has the names of those released and that they were mentioned on the TTP list.