QUETTA: Political and religious leaders have urged the committees representing the government and the Taliban in peace talks to include the name of ANP leader Arbab Zahir Kasi in the list of people the shura of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan is being asked to release.

Speaking at press conference here on Monday, they said Mr Kasi should not be ignored when the government and the TTP exchanged captives.

They asked the government’s committee to demand release of Mr Kasi along with Ali Haider Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani; Shahbaz Taseer, son of slain governor of Punjab Salmaan Taseer; and Professor Ajmal Khan.

They said a delegation comprising leaders of different political and religious parties would take up the issue with President Mamnoon Hussain during his visit to Quetta on Wednesday.

The issue has also been discussed in separate meetings between Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nasir Ali Khan, Provincial Senior Minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri and President Hussain, Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Matin Akundzada and Prof Ibrahim Khan and Maulana Abdul Qadir Luni and Maulana Samiul Haq.

Mr Kasi was kidnapped at gunpoint from Quetta on Oct 23 last year.

Those who spoke at the press conference included Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti of PML-N, Rashid Nasar of the Awami National Party, Maulana Luni of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Ideological, Akhtar Hussain Lango of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, Bismillah Kakar of PPP and Maulana Abdul Haq Hashimi of the Jamaat-i-Islami.