The Pakistani Taliban has elected number two commander Khan Said, known as Sajna, as leader. <br /><br />Said replaces Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed on November 1 in a US drone strike in the Waziristan region, according to intelligence officials and militant commanders. <br /><br />Mehsul was on the US most-wanted militants’ list. He was believed to have been involved in several plots, including a deadly attack on a US base in Afghanistan in 2009.<br /><br />Pakistan’s government issued a statement through its foreign ministry saying it “strongly condemned the US drone strike”, calling such actions “counter-productive”.<br /><br />On the streets of Islamabad, many residents were also critical, especially because of the implications for Pakistan’s efforts to negotiate a peace settlement with the Taliban.<br /><br />One local said: “It makes the peace dialogue process with the Taliban difficult. Now that Mehsud’s been killed, they won’t be prepared any more to have a dialogue with us. So how can we carry on with it? The dialogue can only happen when there is peace from both sides, and when there are no drone strikes.”<br /><br />Another complained: “Drone strikes are doing us no good. In fact, the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud in such an attack is harmful for our country, as well as for Muslims.”
