Washington, DC - The Department of State has designated Maulana Fazlullah, also known as Mullah Fazlullah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against U.S. persons engaging in transactions with Fazlullah, and the freezing of all property and interests of Fazlullah that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the possession or control of U.S. persons.
Maulana Fazlullah was elected commander of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2013, following the death of former TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud. The Department of State designated TTP as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on September 1, 2010. TTP was also listed at the United Nations 1267/1989 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee on July 29, 2011.
Under the leadership of Fazlullah, TTP claimed responsibility for the December 16, 2014 attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan that resulted in the deaths of at least 148 individuals, mostly students. Prior to becoming the leader of TTP, Fazlullah claimed he was behind the killing of Pakistani Army Major General Sanaullah Niazi in September 2013, as well as ordering the shooting of schoolgirl and activist Malala Yousafzai in 2012. Fazullah was responsible for the beheading of 17 Pakistani soldiers after an attack in June 2012 and also ordered the targeted killings of elders who led peace committees against the Taliban.