Taliban claim responsibility for killing of Swabi journalist

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 13 October 2017

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has admitted to killing journalist Haroon Khan in Swabi, claiming he was an informant for the government. His brother has filed a police report implicating family members in the murder over a land dispute.

Summary

PESHAWAR – The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Friday claimed responsibility for the killing of a journalist in Swabi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), saying he was spying for the government.

Haroon Khan, who was associated with Sach TV and Mashriq TV, was shot dead Thursday evening by unidentified gunmen. He was buried Friday in his ancestral graveyard in Swabi.

TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani, in a Whatsapp message to local media, said that their special squad, STF, killed the journalist for spying.

He claimed that the slain journalist was working for the secret agency, sometimes in the shape of running a medical store and some time as a journalist.

"We have time and again warned the journalists to avoid siding with the government. Anyone one cooperating with the Army or the government will be our target like Haroon Khan," the TTP said in the message.

Meanwhile, the slain journalist's brother, Manzoor Ali lodged a FIR against his step-brother Muhammad Ali and his two sons -- Jawad Khan and Ammad Khan, stating that land dispute was the reason behind the murder of his journalist brother.

Also, local journalists and members of various political and social organizations Friday took out a rally and protested outside the DC office and also blocked the road for all kind of traffic. - Agencies