PESHWAR: The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has removed Punjabi Taliban Chief Asmatullah Muawiya from his post over his response to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s dialogue offer.
The decision to remove the Muawiya was taken on Saturday at a meeting chaired by TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud at an undisclosed location. The meeting directed all the militants not to contact Muawiya.
However, in response Muawiya rejected the TTP’s decision, saying that the Punjabi Taliban had their own Shura (decision making body) and the TTP had no authority to remove him.
TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shaihid said that a new chief of the Punjab Taliban would be appointed soon.
Muawiya, in response to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s remarks, had said that negotiations between the government and the militants would strengthen peace efforts.
