Hakimullah Mehsud’s Death: What They Are Saying

“The government of Pakistan does not see this strike as a strike on an individual, but on the peace process. Our efforts have been ambushed, and it was not an ambush from the front. Americans said they support our efforts at peace. Is this support? We will review our relations with USA once the Prime Minister returns from London, and we may well consider the option of blocking NATO supply routes through Pakistan. We will continue our efforts to negotiate with the Taliban despite this setback, and we urge the TTP to be patient, and not allow this policy to be successful.” – Chaudhry Nisar, Interior Minister of Pakistan.

“This has put the talks in jeopardy, no doubt. There is a strong feeling in Pakistan that every time there is a process of talks something like this happens…This has been extremely unhelpful.” – Tariq Azeem, spokesman for Nawaz Sharif.

“This strike has been counter-productive to Pakistan’s efforts to bring peace and stability to Pakistan and the region. It has also been decided to instruct our Ambassadors in the Capitals of the P-5 member states to call at an appropriate level to brief the host Governments on our concerns, with specific reference to the setback caused to the Government’s peace process initiative by the latest drone attack.” – A statement issued by the Foreign Office of Pakistan.

“The Taliban held only one condition for the peace talks and that was that drone attacks must end. But just before the talks began we saw this sabotage take place. There should be no doubts left about who does not want peace in the country now. [This] strike has irreparably damaged peace talks, and our party will now move to block Nato supplies through Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and introduce resolutions in the National, Sindh and Punjab assemblies to block the supplies. The entire nation – including the political parties – needs to unite to turn things around in the country.” – Imran Khan, leader of the PTI, the ruling party in KPK.

“There was little to no prospect at all of the proposed negotiations achieving anything. The Taliban have killed more than 40,000 people. What lunatic thought there could be peace through talks? The American taxpayer is again taking out Pakistan’s terrorist garbage.” – Christine Fair, a South Asia expert at Georgetown University.

“Talks can not be held with the government when Taliban leaders are being targeted in American drone strikes. On one hand they talk about peace talks with the Taliban and on the other they have failed to stop these strikes. We believe that the Pakistan government was involved in the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud and it will face serious consequences for its double standards. Every drop of Hakimullah’s blood will turn into a suicide bomber. America and their friends shouldn’t be happy because we will take revenge for our martyr’s blood.” Azam Tariq, spokesman for Taliban.

“He was a vengeful extremist who beheaded prisoners if they adhered to the Shia sect of Islam, personally appeared in grisly execution videos and was responsible for the deaths of thousands during his four-year reign as Pakistan’s top militant. And yet the demise of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a barrage of CIA drone missiles has once again highlighted the country’s deep divisions over the violent Islamists who have wrought ever-greater havoc there since 2001.” – Jon Boone, for The Guardian.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was shocked at the news that Hakimullah Mehsud was martyred in a cowardly US drone attack. The Emirate strongly condemns the American terrorist attack and considers the martyrdom of Mulla Hakimullah Mehsud as a great loss and conveys condolences to his family members, relatives and Taliban friends.” Zabihullah Mujahid, an Afghan Taliban spokesperson.