ISLAMABAD-
The government on Thursday denied the media reports that it has released at least 16 Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) prisoners with the approval of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, private news channels reported.
Earlier on Thursday, foreign news agency reported that 16 TTP prisoners had been released by the Pakistan authorities in a move designed to invigorate a shaky peace process with the militant group.
The news agency quoted the political agent of South Waziristan confirming the the government has started releasing non-combatant prisoners to boost reconciliation efforts.
“South Waziristan’s political administration released sixteen men on April 1,” Islam Zeb told a foreign news agency.
“They are not major commanders. They are innocent tribals who were arrested during different search operations in South Waziristan in the last two to three years.”
Zeb said all the released prisoners belonged to the Mehsud tribe, a major Pashtun tribe living in South Waziristan.
Another 100 prisoners on the Taliban’s list were being processed and would be released in the next few days, the news report added.
However soon after the national media picked up the news, the spokesperson of Prime Minister House denied the reports, adding that the political agent had free a few ordinary criminals only and none of them were part of TTP.
TTP called a one-month ceasefire on March 1 but said this week they would not extend the truce because the government was not serious about meeting their demands.
The demands include releasing 800 prisoners the insurgent group describes as innocent family members and withdrawing the army from parts of the semi-autonomous tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.