Taliban spokesperson Azam Tariq says both Qari Hussain and Pakistan Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud are alive and claims that the Pakistan government is indulging in propaganda to cover its "weak" position.

"First they claimed the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike followed by Qari Hussain's killing," Tariq said. "Such news has become a daily affair and no one believes such reports."

"We don't take such baseless reports seriously; neither will such news help the government win the war against us nor create panic amongst the Taliban," he added.

Qari Hussain's squad of suicide bombers carry out attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.