Pakistan has agreed to free several jailed Afghan Taliban officials during talks in Islamabad with Afghan peace negotiators, BBC News reported.

Afghan sources reportedly said that the former Taliban justice minister Mullah Turabi and two intelligence officials are among the group to be freed.

One Afghan official described the move as a positive gesture towards peace. Pakistan says it backs Afghan peace efforts and releasing the prisoners is a tangible step to prove it.

According to BBC, crucially, it appears that the Taliban number two, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is not among those being released - at least for now.

Analysts say this is nevertheless a significant move. The hope is that when the Taliban officials return home, they can influence others to enter talks.