The deputy commander of the Taliban in Pakistan says his group is involved in peace talks with the Pakistani government.
Deputy commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad says the negotiations are going in the right direction and 145 Taliban prisoners have been released as a goodwill gesture.
Authorities in Islamabad have not commented on the Taliban's claim.
So far, the talks are limited to the Bajaur tribal region bordering Afghanistan, the BBC reports.
Mr Mohammad says if a peace deal can be signed there, agreements will follow in other areas.
However, the Taliban in Pakistan is a fractured alliance and there are doubts about whether or not any possible peace treaty would be observed by all factions.
