News Analysis: Pakistani Taliban's election of hard-liner chief dashes hopes for talks

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News Analysis: Pakistani Taliban's election of hard-liner chief dashes hopes for talks

By Muhammad Tahir (Xinhua) 08:06, November 08, 2013

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 7 -- Pakistani Taliban's decision to appoint most hard-liner commander Mullah Fazalullah as their new chief is seen as a serious setback for the proposed peace talks with the government.

Fazalullah was appointed as the chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan on Thursday nearly a week after a U.S. spy aircraft rained missiles into North Waziristan tribal region and killed Hakimullah Mehsud, who had headed the banned groups for nearly four years.

Fazalullah led a bloody campaign against the security forces in northwestern Swat valley in 2009 and later fled to Afghanistan, regrouped his fighters and continued attacks on Pakistani forces from across the border.

In a recent video, Fazalullah claimed responsibility for the roadside bomb attack in Upper Dir district in September which killed top military officer Major General Sanaullah Niazi.

The attack had occurred at a time when the government had been pursing peace talks with the Taliban to end the bloodshed. However, the attack spoiled atmosphere for the peace talks as it had sparked widespread condemnation and many urged the government to review the Taliban dialogue policy.

Pakistani security officials say Fazalullah is operating from Afghanistan's Nuristan province and has, on a number of occasions, formally asked Afghanistan to extradite him as he is wanted for killings of many security forces and civilians. The Swati Taliban have released several videos of brutally killing of dozens of Pakistani security personnel.

Appointment of Fazalullah reflects the Taliban mood that they do not want peace dialogue with the Pakistani government as he has never supported dialogue. A peace deal signed by his men in Swat with the government in 2008 had failed mainly due to the Taliban aggressive posture, analysts say.

The then government had also blamed the Taliban for not- honouring the deal. The Taliban later carried out major attacks on security forces and took control of most parts of Swat and the nearby Buner district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The security forces launched a major offensive in 2009 and cleared the areas of the Fazalullah-led Taliban.

Pakistan has announced a reward of 5 million rupees for Fazalullah and has formally called upon the Afghan government to extradite him. "We have shared dossiers on Mullah Fazlullah both with the Afghan government as well as ISAF. We are intensively engaging both sides to take care of this issue and hope that some actions will be taken," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said in an early briefing.

Fazalullah presence in Afghanistan is likely to increase tensions with the neighbouring country as any future Taliban attacks will now point fingers at Kabul. Suspicions have already grown in Pakistan following last month's arrest of the deputy of Pakistani Taliban, Latifulah Mehsud, in Afghanistan by the American security forces. U.S. media reported that American troops snatched Latifullah from Afghan intelligence operation at a time when he was being taken to Kabul for a meeting with the Afghan spy agency NDS.

Kabul, which anxiously wants Islamabad's role to convince Afghan Taliban to join the peace process, will have to address concerns of the presence of Pakistani Taliban on their soil. Pakistan could change its policy of cooperation with the Afghan government if action was not taken against the Pakistani militants.

Analysts say that appointment of Fazalullah has made the proposed dialogue process with the government impossible as he had opposed dialogue with the government and has launched war on Pakistani forces from across the border.