The Swat Taliban’s main leader, Maulana Qazi Fazlullah, however, remains at large four months after Pakistani troops launched their offensive to flush the Taliban out of the Swat and adjoining Buner district.
Muslim Khan, who for a time lived in the United States, acted as the primary spokesman for Fazlullah, conducting frequent interviews with local and international journalists and freely giving out his cell phone and home phone numbers.
The Taliban’s leadership in Pakistan’s tribal areas along the Afghan border has also suffered setbacks in recent weeks. A U.S. drone missile strike Aug. 5 killed Pakistan’s top Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud. His spokesman, Maulvi Omar, was captured a few days later.
Mehsud has since been replaced by one of his deputies, Hakimullah Mehsud. Analysts say it may take several months to prepare a ground offensive to rout the Taliban.
