Islamabad: Pakistani Taliban has appointed a "look alike brother" of Hakimullah Mehsud as its new chief in order to give the impression that its leadership was safe, according to intelligence officials who believe that the militant commander was killed in a duel with a rival claimant.
Taliban commander Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, who just days back had appointed himself as the successor to Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud, on Saturday said a 42-member 'shura' or supreme council selected Hakimullah Mehsud as the new leader during a meeting held in South Waziristan tribal region.
However, the intelligence officials believe that the new Taliban chief is Hakimullah's brother, who was specially called from Afghanistan to head the militant group in order to save its image and give the impression that Hakimullah is still alive, the Online news agency reported.
The truth is the man, who has been selected as the new Pakistani Taliban chief is Hakimullah's look alike brother..."he is not the real one", the report said citing intelligence sources.
Pakistani authorities maintain that the militants on the country's soil were in disarray as the group received heavy losses at the hands of the security forces and the killing of Baitullah Mehsud in a drone missile attack on August 5.
Recently, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had quoted reports to say infighting had broken out among various Taliban factions in which Hakimullah had been killed.
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