Pakistan government's strategy to "isolate" Mehsud a non-starter: Report

Islamabad, July 15 (ANI): The Pakistan government may have announced an all out war against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan,but it has so far failed to bring the important Taliban leader Jalaluddin Haqqani on its side as part of its strategy to isolate the warlord, the BBC reports.

While Pakistan Air Force's fighter jets continue to pound suspected hideouts of the Taliban in South Waziristan, every step to garner support of Haqqani, a key Afghan leader, has failed.

Haqqani has refused to side by the government and isolate Mehsud.

Experts believe that the government's strategy to disassociate Haqqani from Mehsud would never succeed.

It was Haqqani's son, Sirajuddin who had played a vital role in uniting three major Taliban leaders - Hafiz Gul Bahadur, Baitullah Mehsud and Mullah Nazir in Waziristan, so it is very hard to believe that he and his father would side by the government, they opine.

The government, through local tribal leaders, is also pushing to alienate Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir groups from Mehsud, but local tribals said its efforts have failed to yield desired results till now, The Nation reports. (ANI)