Faqir Muhammad Claims Position of “Acting” TTP Chief

that Maulvi Faqir Muhammad has announced that he is the “acting” amir of the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Faqir, who spoke with the BBC via phone from an undisclosed location, claimed that Baitullah Mehsud is still alive. He also added that the TTP-Swat spokesman, Muslim Khan, has replaced the recently arrested Maulvi Umar as the organization’s central spokesman.

Faqir, who has been the TTP’s naib amir (second-in-command) and head of its Bajaur Agency affiliate, said that the organization has not held a shura meeting recently. So it’s unclear as to how he has become the group’s temporary leader if, as he claims, neither is its permanent leader dead nor has its leadership council met. Also interesting is that Faqir chose to call the BBC himself, rather than delegating the task to Muslim Khan.

There is indication Faqir is concerned about others unilaterally seizing the mantle of TTP amir. In response to a question, Faqir stated, “Neither Maulvi Wali-ur-Rehman, nor Hakimullah Mehsud has the power [that would permit them to] appoint themselves as amir without consulting other areas’ Talibans. Neither can Waziristan’s Taliban do the same.” But Faqir then went on to laud the Waziristan Taliban for its “sacrifices” and state that Hakimullah and Wali-ur-Rehman are both qualified to lead the central organization, if legitimately selected.

Factional and tribal differences could play a role in weakening the TTP’s cohesiveness. Faqir is not a member of the Mehsud tribe; he’s a Mohmand from Bajaur (there are also Mohmand tribesmen in, you guessed it, the Mohmand Agency).

If Faqir continues to lay claim to the TTP’s amirship, will the Mehsud Taliban and tribesmen stay loyal or defect? Can a non-Mehsud really run the show in Mehsud country? And will other Taliban commanders remain content as subordinates? Hakimullah, for example, appears to have a highly independent streak. Last week, there were reports that he appointed a man by the name of Azam Tariq as TTP spokesman, which would contradict Faqir’s announcement of Muslim Khan’s promotion. And North Waziristan’s Hafiz Gul Bahadur could also be interested in the top spot. Ismail Khan, Dawn’s excellent Peshawar editor, suggested that Gul Bahadur’s continued aggresiveness against the Pakistan Army could be part of a power play to take over the TTP.

Rported By By www.pakistanpolicy.com