Pakistani Taliban Sacks Spokesman

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a coalition of different insurgent groups also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has sacked its spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid.



Last week, Shahid and six other key commanders pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.



 Announcing the decision on its Umar Media website, the Pakistani Taliban said that Abu Omar Maqbool Shaikh, i.e. Shahidullah Shahid, had been replaced by another "brother."



Since the name of the new spokesperson has not yet been made public, the statement -- issued in Pashtu, Urdu and Arabic -- accused Shahid of taking advantage of this vacuum and of pretending to be the coalition's spokesman.



The statement, however, did not explain when Shahid had been replaced or when the name of the new spokesman would be made public.



It also emphasized that Mullah Fazlullah, leader of the Pakistani Taliban, still pledges his allegiance to the Afghan Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Omer.



There was no immediate reaction from Shahid, who, according to intelligence sources, has already parted ways with the organization over differences with his former leader.



The Pakistani Taliban has been suffering a series of setbacks ever since Mullah Fazlullah took charge of the coalition in November 2013, following the death of their second leader, Hakeemullah Mehsud, in a US drone strike.



Several key commanders have already parted ways with Fazlullah.



The organization is currently on the run due to an ongoing military onslaught in the restive North Waziristan province, where they are based.



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