[Dawn] The Pak Taliban have appointed an interim leader to head the group temporarily after the death of commander Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike, a front man told AFP Sunday.Mehsud, who had a $5 million US government price on him, was killed along with four cadres in North Wazoo tribal district near the Afghan border on Friday.
Shahidullah Shahid, the main front man for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) said a permanent replacement had not been chosen yet.
"Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani
...a Pashtun tribe centered on Jandola, in Tank district. They are the hereditary enemies of the Mehsuds, unless there are furriners or infidels around, in which case they share ammunition and targeting data...
, the head of the supreme shura, has been appointed as temporary head of the TTP," Shahid told AFP, adding that prayers for Mehsud were still going on.
Yesterday they said another guy was appointed. Guess he musta changed his mind.
When according to the rules of cricket is it okay for us to drone-zap the new guy...
The killing of Mehsud sparked a furious reaction from the Pak government, which accused Washington of sabotaging fledgling efforts towards peace negotiations with the Taliban.
They've got a picture of Asmatullah up at the site. He's got the creepy eyes of a lunatic.
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar said a group of holy mans had been ready to go and meet the TTP to initiate talks, which have been backed by all major political parties, when the drone struck.
Shahid refused to say there was no chance of the talks going ahead, but accused the government of kowtowing to Washington and cutting a deal to "sell" the bad turbans.
"Nobody in history has ever negotiated with slaves," he said.
"We were waiting for a meeting, while the Pakistain army and government was sitting with the US finalising deals to sell us." And he stopped short of vowing Dire Revenge™ for Mehsud, who took over as TTP chief after founder Baitullah Mehsud in a drone strike in 2009.
"Time will tell whether we take Dire Revenge™ of his martyrdom or not," he said.
In the past, the TTP has responded to its leaders being killed with deadly violence.