Islamabad: Newly appointed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has already been killed and it was his look-alike brother who gave an interview to the BCC some days ago, Pakistani security forces said.
According to a private television channel, Hakimullah’s look-alike brother was specially summoned from Afghanistan to Pakistan, while the decision to appoint their new chief was being taken by the Taliban after Baitullah Mehsud’s death in a US drone attack last month.
Security forces said Taliban had declared Hakimullah as their chief only to misguide the military and give a wrong impression its leadership was still alive.
Pakistani forces are preparing a plan to launch a major operation against the Taliban in South Waziristan, The Dawn reports.
It may be recalled that Pakistan Interior Advisor Rehman Malik had also rejected reports about Hakimullah Mehsud being appointed as the new TTP chief.
In an interview with the state television, Malik said reports about Hakimullah taking over the TTP’s command were merely ‘speculations’.
“If Hakimullah Mehsud has been elected new Taliban chief than he should come to fore. It is all speculation till he himself comes forward and says that he has become the chief of TTP,” Malik had said.
Malik said the there were reports of serious infighting among the leaders of the TTP to gain hold of the organization following Baitullah Mehsud’s death in the US drone attack in August.
“Our information is that they have not been able to appoint someone despite the lapse of so many days since his (Baitullah Mehsud’s) death because now they are fighting among themselves,” he said.
ANI
