Thaindian News

Islamabad, Aug 20 (IANS) A Taliban leader from a Pakistan-Afghanistan border area has claimed he is now the acting chief of the Pakistani Taliban, while describing Baitullah Mehsud, who Pakistani authorities say was killed in a US drone attack Aug 5, as “seriously ill”.
Bajaur Agency Taliban commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad Wednesday declared himself the acting chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), The News International reported.

Mohammad said his decision to take control of the TTP was due to the poor health of Baitullah.

He claimed Baitullah was seriously ill and unable to coordinate with other chapters of the Taliban movement, the report said.

Mohammad had been nominated the TTP deputy chief Dec 14, 2007.

When asked whether his nomination was endorsed by the TTP Shura (council), Mohammad claimed the Shura had never met to make decisions.

“Being the deputy leader of the TTP, I have the right to replace Baitullah when he is unable to work,” the Taliban commander was quoted as saying.

A senior Taliban commander and close ally of Baitullah in the Orakzai Agency told The News: “We don’t know about any such decision to nominate Faqir Mohammad as the new leader of the TTP. Most of our people are unaware of his decision and we will soon show our reaction.”

On Wednesday, TTP had named Muslim Khan as the group’s new spokesman, the Online news agency reported.

The decision was taken after the arrest of the TTP’s central spokesman Moulvi Omar by the security forces.

Moulvi Omar, spokesman of the TTP, was captured by the security forces in the Mohmand tribal agency while he was heading to Bajaur in a car with two of his associates.

Taliban Pakistan, an alliance of around 13 militant groups, is blamed for a wave of bomb and suicide attacks across Pakistan, including the one that killed former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.