PESHAWAR: The spokesman of the Mehsud faction of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Azam Tariq on Wedesnday announced that his group under the leadership of Khalid Mehsud, has formally separated from the central outlawed militant group.
The spokesman of the Mehsud group, who was also a central member of the Taliban shura, made the announcement in a press conference from an undisclosed location.
Azam said that promotion of sectarian mindset and individual ideologies has created rift among the Taliban and they were deviating from the real cause. He said that the present Taliban regime was carrying out bomb attacks on public places with fake names and also money was being extracted from madrasas and other institutions which was not acceptable.
He added that the other Taliban factions were also becoming distrustful of the main organisation.
Azam further said that the Mehsud group had tried to reform the TTP, adding that despite its efforts, conniving elements in the organisation had emerged successful.
The spokesman said that these elements had handed over management of the central organisation into the hands of unseen forces.
Two factions of the TTP, the umbrella grouping for disparate militant organisations, have been locked in bloody clashes for the past several weeks.
Differences emerged after Hakimullah Mehsud was killed by a US drone in November last year and with a crisis developing over future leadership of the organisation.
The conflict brought Mehsud’s followers led by commander Sheheryar Mehsud against supporters of Khan Said Sajna.
