PM Imran, Trump discuss bilateral relations over phone

Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump on Thursday discussed bilateral relations and regional matters during a telephonic conversation.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the premier and Trump discussed the release of western hostages held by the Taliban.

The prime minister told President Trump that the release of the hostages was a positive development. He said that Pakistan was happy that the released prisoners were safe and free.

Taliban release two hostages

The Afghan Taliban released two Western hostages in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, handing them over to US forces more than three years after they were abducted in Kabul, insurgent sources and police told AFP.

The release of American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, both professors at the American University in Kabul, comes a week after President Ashraf Ghani announced that Afghanistan would free three high-ranking Taliban prisoners in an apparent swap that he hoped would help jump-start peace talks.

"This morning at around 10 am two American University professors were released in Nawbahar district of Zabul province. They were flown out of Zabul by American helicopters," a local police source said.

Three Taliban sources in the province also said the hostages had been released.

"We released the professors and are now expecting the Kabul government and Americans to release our three prisoners as soon as possible," one of them told AFP.

There was no immediate comment from the US embassy in Afghanistan. Afghan officials in Kabul said they would release a statement shortly.

King and Weeks were kidnapped by gunmen wearing military uniforms in the heart of Kabul in August 2016.