Security agencies have prepared a plan to eliminate local Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, ARY channel reported on Sunday. The government blamed the December 27 suicide attack on former premier Benazir Bhutto on Baitullah Mehsud, head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a newly formed coalition of Islamic militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border believed to be linked to Al Qaeda. TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud has denied any role in this regard, saying it is against tribal traditions to kill a woman. To this, Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (r) Javed Cheema said, “Baitullah may deny his involvement in the murder, but we have solid evidences that he was behind the killing.”
According to the channel, the plan will be implemented after the government gives a go-ahead in this regard. The channel quoted Interior Ministry sources as saying that the security agencies had prepared a plan to kill Baitullah after getting evidence about his involvement in the assassination. The operation would be carried out in South Waziristan, North Waziristan and certain other tribal areas, the channel said. Earlier, the government had also blamed Baitullah for the suicide attack on Benazir’s reception rally in Karachi on October 18 in which around 160 people were killed. Baitullah also denied that charge. Baitullah formed the TTP “to enforce Sharia and do defensive jihad against the Pakistan Army”.