Pakistan Taliban appoints Asmatullah Shaheen as acting chief

ISLAMABAD - The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistan Taliban, has appointed Asmatullah Shaheen as their interim leader after differences emerged among various ranks to replace the former TTP Chief Hakimullah Mehsud who was killed in a US drone strike on Friday, local media quoted unidentified sources as saying on Sunday.

Earlier reports said that Khan Syed alias Khalid Sajna had been appointed as the new chief of TTP, but a spokesman from Pakistan Taliban's South Waziristan chapter later denied the report and said the new chief of TTP will be elected in the next couple of days.

Asmatullah Shaheen, also known as Asmatullah Bhittani, is a leader of TTP in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of South Waziristan, and he will be in charge of running the daily affairs of TTP, said the report.

Shaheen, who is among 20 most wanted Taliban militants in Pakistan, is also the head of Consultative Body, a decision-making committee of Pakistani Taliban that will choose the new chieftain, the reports said.

Local media said that Shaheen was selected for the post for an interim period after differences emerged among various ranks of Pakistan Taliban in selecting the new leader.

Former TTP chief Mehsud, with a 5 million US dollars bounty on his head announced by the United States, was killed along with his aids when a drone targeted his vehicle and house in the militants' stronghold of North Waziristan.

On Saturday, after the funeral of Mehsud, the Consultative Body of Pakistan Taliban held two separate meetings at undisclosed locations in two different regions, but could not succeed in reaching consensus over one name.

At a meeting held in north western tribal region of North Waziristan, Khalid Sajna was named for the post of new chief. But, a group of Consultative Body that reportedly met at unknown place in Nuristan province of Afghanistan opposed the result and suggested another person.

Pakistan's federal Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday condemned the death of Mehsud in US drone strike and said that Pakistan would reconsider its relations with United States as the strike was an attempt to disrupt Pakistan's peace efforts.

The minister also announced the government has stopped a three- member delegation from visiting North Waziristan where they were scheduled to hold peace talks with Taliban delegation.

Pakistan Foreign Office on Saturday summoned US Ambassador to Islamabad Richard Olson and lodged its protest over the drone strike, reiterating that drone strikes are in violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and international laws.

A strong reaction was observed from leaders of different main stream political parties of Pakistan over the drone strike. Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan, whose party is ruling in northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has threatened to stop the NATO supply line in the province.