Pakistani Taliban appoints new Chief

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have chosen Mullah Fazlullah as their new chief after the killing of the former TTP leader in a US led drone strike in the northern Pakistani tribal region bordering Afghanistan, said local media reports. According to these reports, Mullah Fazlullah was announced as new TTP chief by the caretaker TTP leader Asmatullah Shaheen at a press conference at an undisclosed location in northwest Pakistan. Some local and foreign media reports quoted Shaheen as saying, "The decision was taken at a shura (council) meeting today," adding "The supreme shura has also elected Sheikh Khalid Haqqani as the deputy chief of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan." The international news agency Reuters said that the TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid has confirmed the announcement. Mullah Fazlullah led the Pakistani Talibans brutal rule in northwestern Swat valley in 2007-2009 that was eliminated by a successful operation by the Pakistan Army. The former TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a drone strike by US in the northern Pakistani tribal region and Pakistan condemned the killing. The Interior Minister of Pakistan, Chaudhry Nisar accused Washington of sabotaging peace efforts through the drone strikes as the Pakistani government representatives were prepared to meet the TTP with a view to opening peace talks.