PESHAWAR: Days after the man known as Shahidullah Shahid- former spokesman for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shifted loyalties and declared his allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and its leader Abu Omar Al Baghdadi along with five other Pakistani militant commanders, the militant outfit has announced the sacking of Shahidullah Shahid, and reiterated that, this happens to be his assumed name- offered to him by the TTP, as a pseudonym or a nom de guerre, whereas, his real name is actually- Abu Omar Sheikh Maqbool. The TTP expressed regret that even after being removed from the position of the spokesperson of the group, Sheikh Maqbool continued to use the name Shahidullah Shahid, wrongly.
TTP statement, posted on its Omar Media site, said that Sheikh Maqbool was removed and another brother was named to replace him, but since the decision was not made public, the former TTP spokesman took advantage of the situation. Sheikh Maqbool is not Shahidullah Shahid, it said. It is a nom de guerre of the TTP spokesman, it added in its Urdu, Pashto and Arabic statement.
The statement reiterated TTP leader Mulla Fazlullahs oath of allegiance to the Afghan Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, and added that the name of the new TTP spokesman would be made public in due course.
Insiders said that Sheikh Maqbool and his five associates had already made up their mind to quit the TTP after pledging allegiance to IS, but were waiting for the right time to make an announcement.
There was no immediate reaction from the former TTP spokesman, who had reportedly fled the groups former stronghold in Miramshah, North Waziristan, following the launch of the military operation- Zarb-i-Azb in mid June. He was last reported to have shifted to Shawal valley, but some reports suggest, he might have shifted to his native Orakzai tribal region already.
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