'2nd round of talks between Pak govt, Taliban to start soon'

The second round of direct talks between the Pakistan government's team and the Taliban is expected during the next two to three days, leader of the banned group's negotiating committee said today.
A joint meeting of the Pakistan government and Taliban negotiating committees was held here this evening to chalk out the future course of the peace dialogue.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan chaired the meeting.
Progress in talks and venue and date for the next round of direct negotiations between the government team and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)were on the agenda.
Maulana Samiul Haq, leader of the banned group's negotiating committee, told reporters after the meeting that the venue and timetable of the dialogue process are being sorted out.

Haq said today's meeting deliberated upon measures to promote the atmosphere of goodwill. He said steps taken by the government are reflective of its goodwill and more such gestures will be witnessed in days to come.

The second round of direct talks between the Pakistan government's team and the Taliban is expected during the next two to three days, Haq said.
He said the two sides will place their demands and points on the table in the coming session.
The leader of the banned group's negotiating committee said so far exchange of prisoners is one of the major demands.
The meeting comes just two days after the government released 19 Taliban non-combatans as a goodwill gesture.

The banned group has handed over to the government a list of nearly 400 non-combats released from custody of security forces.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday met his national security team to discuss steps to be taken for the dialogue process with the TTP.
The Interior Minister, Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam and Prime Minister's Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi attended the meeting held at the Prime Minister's house.
According to the Prime Minister's office, the meeting was held to discuss "matters relating to national security and national importance."
The government has been facing opposition from the army over any move to accept the TTP's demand for the establishment of a "peace zone" outside North Waziristan on the grounds that doing so would send a wrong signal about the gains made so far in other tribal areas which have been cleared.

The army had earlier resisted its inclusion in the government's negotiating team.
However, at a later stage it agreed to assign a mid-ranking officer, though still not officially part of the negotiating team, for what is being described as "institutional support".