ISLAMABAD, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has sharply increased the bounty for a top Taliban commander, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Friday.

    The private Ary One World TV channel quoted Interior Minister Rehman Malik as saying that the bounty on top Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah had been increased to 500 million Pakistani rupees (around 6,250,000 U.S. dollars) from five million rupees (about 62,500 U.S. dollars).

    Pakistan Thursday offered bounty for tips leading to the capture alive or death of 21 Taliban leaders and commanders in the country's northwest.

    The information department of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) also issued to newspapers and TV channels names and pictures of 21 Taliban leaders with their positions.

    It is offering four million rupees (about 50,000 U.S. dollars) each for information about Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan and two deputy chiefs of the group, Shah Duran and Ibn-e-Amin.

    Muslim Khan is a famous face among the Swat Taliban for his frequent interaction with the local and foreign media.

    Shah Duran is known for his speeches on Taliban's FM radio and is considered to be the hardliner among the Taliban leaders.

    People have been asked to provide information to the government on three phone numbers and that the names of informers would be kept secret.

    Security forces are engaged in a military operation against militants in North West Frontier Province, which started in late April. Over 1,000 militants have been killed in the operation.