Differences between two groups of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) came to the forefront Monday with Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar claiming that TTP groups have a lot of ‘internal differences’ among them. In a pamphlet distributed in the South Waziristan Agency (SWA), Mullah Omar said that there were deep differences among TTP groups, especially between Hakeemullah Mehsud group and Khalid Sajna group, claiming that both groups were fighting over leadership of the agency. The widely respected Taliban leader called for Pakistan’s tribal people to come ahead and resolve such differences among TTP. Meanwhile, spokesman of the TTP Hakeemullah Mehsud group, Haji Daud said that Khan Saeed Sajna wanted to seize control of SWA, adding that he was opposed to Sajna’s steps. The TTP Hakimullah group spokesman further said he had complete confidence in TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah and would accept his decision on the next Amir (chief) of South Waziristan. However, TTP shura member Maulana Azam Tariq downplayed the infighting between the Taliban groups saying that the issue was being given hype by the media and that the reservations between the two groups “had been removed”. On April 13, TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid had denied the news of infighting among the TTP groups in Pakistan and claimed that such news were being exaggerated by media.
