Killing of Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud 'good news' for Pakistan: Analysts

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan government and some politicians condemned the US drone strike that killed Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, security analysts welcomed it saying the slain militant leader was responsible for a string of devastating attacks.

"This is good news for Pakistan, a good thing. He was the most wanted terrorist who caused serious damage, death and destruction to Pakistan. He was a ruthless killer," Maj Gen (retired) Athar Abbas, the former chief military spokesman, told PTI.

Without referring to Mehsud's death, the Foreign Office yesterday strongly condemned the drone strike in North Waziristan, saying the attacks violate Pakistan's sovereignty.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan too condemned the drone strike, saying it was an attempt to block proposed peace talks with the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. He called for stopping NATO supply trucks bound for Afghanistan.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in his immediate reaction, said last night that the drone attack was aimed at sabotaging peace talks with the Taliban. In a bid to control damage, he telephoned the heads of the Jamaat-e-Islami chief and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and discussed the issue.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid described the drone attack as an attack on negotiations with the Taliban. He said "stopping NATO supplies will not stop the drone attacks" but talks should not stop as negotiations will usher in peace.

However, Air Vice Marshal (retired) Shahzad Chaudhry felt the talks were hit but would go on.

"One man has been taken out but the entire organisation remains. It will definitely have an impact on talks but the government will pick up the threads and, in the longer run, things will pan out," he said.

Mehsud was on the US scanner for a long time, he said.