TTP denies role in appointing Pak taliban chief

Lahore, Sep 1: Faqir, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Bajaur Agency chief denied Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban's role in appointing the new Pakistan taliban chief.

He said the Tehreek-e-Taliban council had independently chosen and appointed Hakimullah Mehsud as Baitullah's successor.

Faqir said the TTP was an independent organisation and al Qaeda or the Afghan Taliban had no say in its operations.

He said there were no differences in the TTP ranks, adding that the government was painting such scenarios to create rifts in the TTP, the Daily Times reported.

Earlier, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said that Al-Qaeda was trying to install a new 'chief terrorist' in Pakistan's tribal region after the killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

Malik told BBC radio that the Taliban were in disarray and fleeing the area following the apparent killing of their commander in Pakistan, and hoped the border regions would now open up to greater development.

"The other thing which is a bit worrying is that al-Qaeda is getting grouped in the same place and now they are trying to find out somebody to install him as the leader, as the chief terrorist in that area," he said.

ANI