NOWSHERA, Jan 22: Awami National Party will not object to the release of Afghan Taliban leaders by Pakistan provided that it is done after the signing of a proper agreement between the governments of the two countries, provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said on Tuesday.

Addressing a public meeting organised here to mark the death anniversaries of Bacha Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan here at Nowshera, the minister said his party would endorse dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan if it guaranteed peace in the region.He said ANP was ready to hold talks with Taliban for peace in the country.

Mr Hussain said ANP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership had realised that Taliban were against them.

He said the all political parties being convened by ANP on counter terrorism was meant to bring peace in the country.

The minister said the country was passing through a critical period and that democratic forces had foiled various undemocratic attempts through democratic ways.

He said ANP would soon call a grand jirga of all political and religious parties on how to restore peace in the county without use of force.

Mr Hussain said MQM had expressed solidarity with ANP over the killing of senior provincial minister Bashir Bilour and ANP had sided with MQM over the killing of its MPA in Karachi. —Correspondent