Pakistani Taliban on Thursday named Hakimullah Mehsuds successor days after the dreaded terrorist alliances chief was killed in a US drone strike in the countrys tribal North Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan. Mullah Fazlullah, the new chief, is infamous for carrying out many attacks, including the one on child rights activist Malala Yousafzai in 2012. He had in September claimed responsibility for the killing of top army officer, Maj General Sanaullah Niazi. Fazlullah first gained notoriety after he introduced public floggings and beheading in Swat as the Taliban overran the scenic region. He had fled to Afghanistan after a Pakistan army operation drove the Taliban out of the region following an operation in 2009. Taliban interim chief Asmatullah Shaheen said Fazlullah, nicknamed Mullah Radio, was elected the chief while Sheikh Khalid Haqqani was named his deputy. The groups spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, said Fazlullah was chosen new leader after consultations. Reports said Fazlullahs appointment was celebrated with heavy gunfire in Miranshah in North Waziristan. He is one of the first leaders of the group from outside the tribal region and his elevation has all but ended any chances of a peace deal with the government. Shahid rejected the idea of peace talks, saying Fazlullah had always been against having any negotiations with the Pakistan government. His predecessors killing came as the government was about to send its representatives to meet the Taliban to start peace talks. Publicly, the government responded angrily to the drone strike which killed Mehsud with interior minister Chaudhry Nisar blaming Washington for sabotaging the peace efforts. Pakistan has long denounced drone strikes in public, but condoned them in private. The drone raid has killed Islamabads key foes despite the civilian toll. Earlier, local media had reported Khan Said Sajna, a battle-hardened terrorist with years of fighting experience in Afghanistan, had been named the Taliban chief while Fazlullah was among other contenders for the job. Some commanders were said to have been unhappy with the choice and had wanted more talks to decide the succession. The killing of Mehsud had triggered fears of fresh Taliban attacks after his aide vowed to avenge his killing and blamed the Pakistan government for endorsing the drone strikes.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 04:44:00 +0000