TIMERGARA, Oct 19: Central deputy chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Gul Naseeb said on Saturday that about 2,500 Pakistani prisoners would be released soon from different jails of Afghanistan as a result of his party’s efforts.

Talking to media persons in Chakdara, Mr Naseeb said that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had raised the issue of Pakistani prisoners with Afghan President Hamid Karzai during their recent meeting in Kabul.

He said that the federal government should expedite the process of release in this regard. He said that the US still wanted to keep nine bases in Afghanistan despite withdrawal of its troops in 2014 from the region.

Mr Naseeb, who was part of the JUI-F delegation to Afghanistan, said that the US did not want to withdraw completely from the region and it wanted to keep tight grip on local politics.

He claimed that the Afghan government also did not like this stand of the US. He said that the recent visit of the JUI-F delegation to Afghanistan was fruitful for maintenance of peace in the region.

He claimed that US Secretary of State John Kerry also rushed to Afghanistan owing to the visit of Mr Rehman. He said that about 2,500 Pakistanis were imprisoned in Afghanistan and the JUI-F chief talked to Afghan president Hamid Karzai in this regard.

The JUI leader said that Mr Karzai had agreed to their demand of prisoners’ release.

He said that it was now the responsibility of government of Pakistan to send its prisoners’ list to the government of Afghanistan.

Answering a question, Mr Naseeb said that the JUI-F chief would soon brief Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif about his talks with Mr Karzai. About talks with the TTP, the JUI-F leader said that the government should immediately announce its negotiating team while the TTP should honour the ulema's appeal for ceasefire.