Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud was selected Friday by 42-member panel . Taliban officials say former leader Baitullah Mehsud is alive but ill. 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 . The announcement came as the United Nations Security Council met in New York to discuss a possible resolution of the Afghan conflict.
Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud was selected Friday by 42-member panel . Taliban officials say former leader Baitullah Mehsud is alive but ill. The announcement came as the United Nations Security Council met in New York to discuss a possible resolution of the Afghan conflict.