New Delhi, Feb 20 : Just days after Pakistan's agreement with the Taliban to restore Sharia law in Swat Valley, a Geo TV reporter was shot at and beheaded in the region.
The Geo TV reporter, Musa Khan Khel, was covering the rally organised by extremist group Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) in Matta, Swat when he was shot dead by unidentified gunmen.
The rally was being led by TNSM chief Sufi Mohammad which the 28-year-old Musa Khan was covering.
The killing has shown how hollow Sufi Mohammad's claims of bringing peace in the troubled North West Frontier Province are.
Musa Khan was shot dead in Matta, which is a stronghold of Maulana Fazlullah, leader of the Swat Taliban.
Unidentified killers sprayed Musa with bullets close to the spot where Swat Taliban head Maulana Fazlullah and Sufi Mohammad were to meet for peace talks. It was a gory murder as Musa Khan's throat was also slit
The Pakistan government was quick to condemn the killing, calling it an attack on journalism.
The Pakistani media has reacted strongly to the brutal killing of GEO reporter Musa Khan in Swat Valley.
"There were 32 bullets fired on Musa Khan. There were groups who wanted Musa Khan to give up journalism so that they don't come into picture. But he did not fall prey. Instead he got into aggressive reporting and exposed all of them. We are not at all going to run away from such threats. We are going to continue to do our work from Swat. Such killings are not going to slow down our spirit," Geo TV Chief Hamid Mir said on Thursday.
Pakistan journalists have called for a nationwide protest on Thursday. But this is not the first time that a journalist has been killed in Pakistan's troubled areas.
In fact, Musa Khan is the second journalist to be shot dead in Swat valley in the past three months. Dawn News reveals that Musa Khan had received death threats from the local Taliban in the past.
Violence has been reported in some areas mourning his death and it seems by killing a prominent journalist, some terror groups are trying to disrupt the new found peace in the valley
Taming the Taliban has proved to be a slippery task for the Pakistan government which has continued to be a mute spectator to the Taliban gaining ground in Swat.
Analysts say that the incident is likely to endanger the peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Pakistan government just three days back.
"The Matta region where Geo TV journalist Musa Khan was murdered is believed to be the stronghold of the Taliban in Swat. Musa Khan was in Swat to cover the peace deal between the government and the militants. Musa is being called the first martyr of the peace deal. Musa was tarvelling with Sufi Mohammad, one-time millitant who was jailed for six years after leading a jihad into Afghanistan to fight allied forces. Sufi Mohammad is seen as a moderate and the government beilieves it can work with him and is hoping he can speak with the head of Taliban - his own son-in-law - Maulana and try to convince him to lay down weapons. It is a risky strategy. Many are now beginning to believe that Swat is a safe haven for militants, Taliban and a center for spreading jihad across Pakistan. The government imposed Shariat Law in the valley and in return, the militants promised ceasefire and to end the killings." |