May 19, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1429

KHAR, May 18: The government and Taliban militants were ready to swap about 330 prisoners as the two sides prepared to sign a formal agreement for peace in the NWFP and tribal region, a spokesman for militant commander Baitullah Mehsud said on Sunday.

Maulvi Umar told Dawn by telephone from an unspecified place in the Bajaur tribal region on Sunday that the release of Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin was part of the expected deal.

Mr Aziz was handed over to the authorities in the Razmak area of North Waziristan on Friday night.

He said the Taliban had handed over a list of 250 militants which were in the government’s custody and they wanted them to be swapped with 80 soldiers and government officials taken hostage by militants. He said the two sides would exchange prisoners after the signing of the peace deal.

Talks between the government and militants are in progress and the former has already released about 50 militants over the past couple of days.