The US Embassy here said it was "not in a position" to confirm whether Hakimullah was killed in a CIA drone strike on Friday in lawless North Waziristan tribal region.
"However, let us be clear that Hakimullah Mehsud is considered the commander of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the group that claimed responsibility for the failed bombing of Times Square in New York City on May 1, 2010.
This mutual cooperation gives TTP access to both al-Qaeda's global terrorist network and the operational experience of its members, he said.
"Given the proximity of the two groups and the nature of their relationship, TTP is a force multiplier for al-Qaeda," he said.
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Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar yesterday condemned the US strike as a "murder of peace in the region", saying a team of religious clerics was about to meet the TTP with a view to starting peace talks when Mehsud was killed.
"You have scuttled it on the eve, 18 hours before a formal delegation of respected ulema (religious scholars) was to fly to Miranshah and hand over this formal invitation," he said yesterday.