BAJAUR AGENCY/PESHAWAR - Deputy Commander of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Maulvi Faqir Mohammad revealed Saturday that peace talks were in progress with government and hoped to sign a peace agreement soon in Bajaur Agency. Talking to media persons on phone from an undisclosed destination Maulvi Faqir Muhammad said that negotiations between government and Taliban are in process. So far, our talks are going in the right direction. Maulvi Faqir further said that If talks succeed, then, a peace agreement between TTP and government will be inked in Bajaur Agency. The agreement in Bajaur Agency will be a role model for other areas as on the same patron, he claimed, more peace agreements with the government will also be singed in Swat, Mohmand, Orakzai and South Waziristan agencies. Faqir did not state any condition on the basis of which the talks were underway with the government. It has been learnt that talks had been initiated under mediation efforts from tribal leaders. It is the first time a top Taliban commander has confirmed negotiations. There has been no government comment. Faqir is one of the most senior commanders of TTP and he is the most wanted militant leaders to the government. It merits mentioning here that after the security forces operation in the Bajaur Agency in March 2010, Maulvi Faqir had managed to escape with other TTP commanders to Afghanistan. And since then, he and other senior commanders have been living in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan. Locals in tehsil Mamond of Bajaur Agency, talking to this scribe, said that Faqir had recently come back along with his other close aides to Mamond area. They said they had heard the news that Faqir was in Bajaur Agency now, but they were unaware of his location in the agency. Meanwhile, the local administration of Bajaur Agency has strongly rebuffed the reports regarding return of Faqir Mohammad to Bajaur Agency. Officials of the local administration told this scribe that they did not have any information about the return of TTP commanders to the area. Agencies add: Maulvi Faqir, deputy head of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), said the Taliban were negotiating with the help of local tribal elders in the northwestern district of Bajaur. There was no immediate comment from the administration on whether talks were taking place. Faqir Mohammad said the government had realised that there was no military solution to the conflict in Pakistan. We have no wish to fight against our own armed forces and destroy our own country, he said. There has been development in our peace talks, but the government would have to show more flexibility in its stance, and restore the trust of Taliban by releasing their prisoners and stop military operations against them. Faqir said Pakistan had released 145 members of the group as a gesture of goodwill, and the militants had pledged a ceasefire. He added that Pakistan and Afghanistan should unite against what he called foreign occupations by non-Muslims. Previous peace deals between Pakistan and militants have rapidly unravelled, and were criticised by the United States and at home for allowing militants space to regroup before launching new waves of attacks. Faqir is the former head of Taliban militants in Bajaur and fought several times with troops, who have been battling years to dislodge extremists. In late November, two senior Taliban commanders confirmed peace talks with the government in South Waziristan tribal district. We are satisfied with these talks, and want to initiate such talks in other areas, Faqir Mohammad added. The commander refused to give details of the negotiations. Talks are going in right direction, soon we will be able to sign a written agreement, he said. The fresh report of peace talks comes after Pakistans fragile alliance with the United States crashed to new lows on November 26, when Nato air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in what the military called a deliberate attack.