( CNN ) -- Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud has been selected the new head of the Pakistani Taliban , a local Taliban commander in Pakistan 's federally administered tribal areas told CNN Saturday . Baitullah Mehsud , right , former leader of the Pakistani Taliban , and a bodyguard in Pakistan , in 2004 . Mehsud was selected Friday by a 42-member Taliban council , or shura , according to Taliban commander Qari Haris . Another Taliban official -- Maulvi Faqir Mohammad -- had been tapped as Mehsud 's deputy , Haris said . Mohammad had named himself acting head of the Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday . A third official -- Hazem Tariq -- was named the group 's new spokesman , Haris added . The announced selection underscored the contention by Pakistani and U.S. officials that the group 's former leader , Baitullah Mehsud , was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan . Both Mohammad and Haris claim Mehsud is alive but ill. Pakistani officials announced Tuesday that two top figures in the Pakistani Taliban had been arrested . Saif Ullah is believed to have been Baitullah Mehsud 's right-hand man , and Maulvi Umar is the well-known spokesman for the militant group . Umar recently declared that Mehsud had not been killed in a drone strike on his father-in-law 's house , but a senior Pakistani official said that Umar had admitted under questioning that Mehsud was dead . The top U.S. envoy to the region , Richard Holbrooke , told CNN that the Pakistani Taliban had not confirmed Mehsud 's death because of an ongoing power struggle over his successor . Journalists Janullah Hamizshada and Nazar ur Islam contributed to this report .
Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud was selected Friday by 42-member panel . Taliban officials say former leader Baitullah Mehsud is alive but ill. Taliban official Maulvi Faqir Mohammad tapped as new leader 's deputy .