NOWSHERA: Member of the Taliban nominated negotiating committee Maulana Samiul Haq said Thursday that the militant group has demanded the release of up to 400 prisoners, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to reporters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Nowshera district, Sami said that women and children could not be held prisoners regardless of the peace talks.

He said that both the government and the Taliban had agreed on taking the mediation process to its logical conclusion and expressed the hope that the process of goodwill gestures would begin soon.

Elaborating on the peace talks, Mulana Sami said that he the exchange of demands should continue from both sides and that the Taliban's nominated committee would meet with the government team tomorrow for the holding of talks.

On Wednesday a four-member government committee comprising three civil servants and a former diplomat held their first meeting with members of the TTP's political council in North Waziristan tribal district.

Another mediator belonging to the Taliban-nominated committee, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim, who attended Wednesday's session said he was hopeful that the one-month ceasefire announced by the TTP would be extended.

“We are confident that the ceasefire will be extended,” he told AFP. “Our efforts will be to ensure that there is a permanent ceasefire.”

Ibrahim said the two sides were trying to build confidence in one another and would meet for more talks in “the next few days”.