ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is holding exploratory peace talks with the government, a senior Taliban 'commander' and mediators said on Monday.

As a confidence-building measure, the Taliban released five ISI officials who were kidnapped in Balochistan, the officials and the commander said.

The Taliban's top demand is that the army pull out of South Waziristan, said the militants' commander, who is close to Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

The army could be replaced by the paramilitary Frontier Corps, but the militants have demanded that only police conduct patrols. They also want the government to pay compensation for the damage incurred during the South Waziristan operation, free Taliban prisoners and allow the group's leaders to move freely throughout the country.

According to the intelligence officials and the militants, the Taliban's leadership council held a meeting in mid-September in which they came up with these demands. They also authorised the group's deputy leader, Maulana Waliur Rehman, to hold talks with the government.

On Saturday, a Taliban spokesman told the AP the group had added another demand — that the government cut ties with the United States if it wants to make peace with the militants.

“Do it and we are brothers, but if not, our war against the government will go on,” said spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan.

The military and other government officials were not immediately available for comment.

“Yes, we have been holding talks, but this is just an initial phase. We will see if there is a breakthrough,” said the Taliban commander.

“Right now, this is at the South Waziristan level. If successful, we can talk about a deal for all the tribal areas,” he said.

One of the tribal elders involved in the talks said: “We have had three rounds in the last two months, but there seems to be no result. It is too difficult to say if there will be a breakthrough, but we are moving in the right direction.”

The TTP was formed in 2007 and is blamed for many of the suicide bombings across Pakistan. Its founder, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed by a US drone missile strike in 2009.

A second Taliban commander confirmed contacts with the government, saying that Taliban across the tribal belt had given their consent.

“Peace negotiations have been going on for several weeks. Our first condition was to stop military offensives in the tribal areas,” the commander said.

But the main spokesman for the TTP denied any peace talks.

“At the moment, the chapter of peace talks with the government is completely closed,” Taliban spokesman Ehsan told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

A regular visitor to North Waziristan said the militia always denied negotiations with the authorities but that “these days, they are re-evaluating their strategy, and considering to halt attacks”.

Two mid-level intelligence officials in the northwest were ignorant of any peace talks, but said they could be taking place at a 'very high level'. — Agencies