Pakistani Taliban Picks New Leader Known for Viciousness
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A. MAJEED/AFP/Getty Images(ISLAMABAD) — The hard line of the Pakistani Taliban got even harder Thursday with the selection of Mullah Fazlullah as its new chief.
Fazlullah fills the void left by the death of Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed last week in a U.S. drone strike.
It’s expected that Fazlullah will push the Pakistani Taliban even further away from a possible deal with the government and military to end years of terrorist attacks designed to force strict Islamist Sharia law on the country.
He was the Taliban leader responsible for ordering the 2012 assassination attempt on schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived after being shot in the face while sitting with classmates on a school bus.
Fazlullah also terrorized Pakistan’s once peaceful northwest Swat Valley from 2007 to 2009. His gang was responsible for burning down schools and beheading non-followers until the army drove him out.
It’s believed the new Pakistani Taliban chief operates his headquarters from eastern Afghanistan.
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