PESHAWAR: A Mehsud tribal jirga, likely to be headed by the father-in-law of the slain Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, will negotiate for peace talks between the Taliban’s Mehsud faction led by Khan Said ‘Sajna’ and the government, sources said.
Well placed sources confirmed that the jirga will comprise of eleven key Mehsud tribal elders and that a consensus has been reached on its name.
The sources also said that a secret meeting was held on Saturday by the Mehsud tribal jirga in Tank, where they agreed to negotiate between the government and the Mehsud Taliban.
Khan Said became Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) deputy leader following the death of Wali-ur-Rehman in May 2013.
He is believed to be involved in the attack on a Naval base in Karachi, and is also credited with masterminding a 2012 jailbreak in which the Taliban freed 400 inmates from a prison in Bannu.
The Mehsud faction, which Said leads, split from the TTP in May 2014. In a public statement following the split, Said had stated his commitment to continue carrying out terrorist acts in the country.
