Pakistan Taliban appoint Asmatullah Shaheen as interim chief

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have appointed Asmatullah Shaheen as their interim leader after differences emerged among the ranks on a successor to Hakimullah Mehsud.

Islamabad: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have appointed Asmatullah Shaheen as their interim leader after differences emerged among the ranks on a successor to Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike, 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, Xinhua reported citing local media.

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.