He has succeeded Hakimullah Mehsud after he was killed by US in a drone attack recently.
Born in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, area of Swat district, he belongs to clan of the Yusufzai tribe. His real name is Fazal Hayat.
This is the first time that the Pakistani Taliban have chosen a leader who does not come from the country's volatile tribal belt - or from the Mehsud or Wazir tribes.
He seems to be more ruthless than his predecessor and aims to enforce Sharia law.