Hardliner Mullah Fazlullah, Who Ordered Shooting of Malala, Chosen as New Pakistani Taliban Leader

[unhappycamper]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Hardliner-Mullah-Fazlullah-by-Abdus-Sattar-Ghaza-Afghanistan_Dialogue_Drone_FATA-131110-616.html



Hardliner Mullah Fazlullah, Who Ordered Shooting of Malala, Chosen as New Pakistani Taliban Leader
General News 11/10/2013 at 08:17:18
By Abdus-Sattar Ghazali

The Pakistani Taliban Thursday elected Mullah Fazlullah, a fiery cleric from Swat, to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud who was killed in a US drone attack on November 1. Sheikh Khalid Haqqani from Swabi was elected as his deputy by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

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According to retired brigadier Mahmood Shah, a former secretary of FATA, Fazlullah's appointment had "completely changed dynamics of the Pakistani Taliban. "Fazlullah was ousted from Swat valley, his hometown, and he is living in Afghanistan. He is wanted by Pakistan, so can he run the organization smoothly from other side of the Durand Line (border with Afghanistan)?" Shah said.

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Pakistan says Fazlullah has directed attacks on its soil from across the border. His men were blamed for beheading 17 Pakistani soldiers in a check post attack in June 2012. He is also said to be involved in the high profile killing of Major General (retd) Sanaullah Khan Niazi, General Officer Commanding Swat, in Upper Dir in an IED blast, in September 2013. However, the Pakistan Current Affairs reported that a Powerful Country was behind the death of Major General Sanaullah Niazi, to sabotage the peace process between the government of Pakistan and the Taliban. "This Powerful country does not want the peace talk so the country kept an eye on the movement of Major General Sanaullah Khan Niazi via Satellite and informed militant groups in Pakistan about his movements," the Pakistan Current Affairs said .

The choice of Fazlullah by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ruling council appears to have sunk government plans for peace talks to try to end the six-year bloody insurgency. Mehsud and his allies had been tentatively open to the concept of ceasefire talks with the government, but Fazlullah's emergence as the new chief changes that picture.