ISLAMABAD: The death of Waliur Rehman, the deputy chief of the Pakistani Taliban, in a US drone strike could hit the incoming PML-N government’s plans to hold peace talks with militants.
More details about Rehman’s death emerged today, with the media quoting security officials and sources in the tribal belt as saying that the top Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leader was killed yesterday in a drone strike on a compound in Chashma Pul, a short distance from Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency.
The US had offered a USD five million bounty for Rehman.
Journalists in the country’s northwest told PTI that sources close to Rehman had confirmed his death.
However, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan denied the reports.
Rehman and senior militant commanders Fakhre Alam, Nasiruddin and Nasrullah were among six persons killed in the attack carried out at 3 am yesterday.
The Frontier Post reported that Rehman’s brother was also killed.
The newspaper reported that Rehman was in the area to attend a meeting of the Taliban ‘shura’ or council.
Sources told PTI that the development could hit the incoming PML-N government’s plans to begin peace talks with the Taliban as intermediaries were hoping to establish contact with the militants through the relatively moderate Rehman.
Hardline cleric Samiul Haq, who has reportedly been approached by several political parties to help open talks with the Taliban, had plans to approach Rehman to make a beginning, the sources said.
“This is a major setback for the TTP. (Rehman) was a cool-headed and calculated militant who wielded a lot of influence,” a senior unnamed government official was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
Malik Mahsud Ahmad, a noted elder of the Mehsud tribe, told the media: “Personally, (Rehman) was not in favour of suicide attacks in Pakistan. He always supported peace talks between the government and Taliban. I am worried after his death as bloodshed could again start in the country.”
Besides being the Pakistani Taliban’s second-in-command, Rehman was also in-charge of South Waziristan Agency. Rehman came to the limelight in 2009, when reports of rifts between him and Hakimullah Mehsud appeared after then Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike.
After the 9/11 attacks, Rehman joined the jihad against foreign forces in Afghanistan and established close ties with the Afghan Taliban.
He was considered a moderate and reportedly had close ties with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Fazlur Rehman and the Haqqani network.
Besides the bounty offered by the US, the Pakistan government had announced a reward of Rs 50 million for the 42-year-old Rehman.
This was the first drone strike in Pakistan since the May 11 general election won by the PML-N, which favours talks with the Taliban.
The attack was carried out just six days after US President Barack Obama unveiled a policy for curtailing the use of drones.
Rehman was the third top Pakistani Taliban leader to be killed in a US drone attack after Baitullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain, a commander known as the mentor of suicide bombers. –PTI
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