PESHAWAR: Elders of the Mehsud tribe have initiated talks with Said Khan Sajna, chief of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in South Waziristan.

According to official sources, an 11-member jirga met Khan Sajna in South Waziristan on Friday. This marked resumption of talks between the government and a faction of Mehsud Taliban. The talks were reportedly held in Shawal area, considered to be a safe haven of militants.

In a related development, the government released seven people as a goodwill gesture three days ago, the source said. An official said they were not high-profile prisoners. They were apprehended about 10 months ago, but were not regarded as militants, they added.

The jirga, headed by Malik Ikramuddin returned to Wana, the agency headquarters, on Saturday.

The sources said that after holding some meetings in Wana, members of the jirga arrived in Bannu on Sunday.

Malik Ikramuddin is father-in-law of slain TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud who was killed in a drone strike.

The jirga was constituted a few days ago to restore peace in the Mehsud area where a military action against militants was carried out in 2010. People displaced from the area are still not allowed to return to their homes because of insecurity.