June 19, 2024
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
After a two hour protest on the Pak-Afghan Highway on Wednesday morning, funeral prayers were finally held for Khalil Jibran, a journalist from Landi Kotal area, in Khyber district (Khyber Pukhtunkhwa).
Jibran was shot and killed on the night of June 18 (Tuesday). Jibran was working for the Pashto-language channel Khyber News and often covered issues revolving around militancy. He was also former president of the Landi Kotal Press Club. The region’s journalist community, as well as political leaders from various parties attended the funeral to pay their respects. Jibran was buried in his native village of Sultan Khel.
According to Farhad Shinwari, a fellow journalist, Jibran was returning from Sultan Khel, after attending an event, but on his way back he was intercepted and stopped in the Mazarina area by some militants. Shinwari said there had been three other friends with him in the car but the militants only ordered Jibran to step outside alone. When he did, they sprayed him with bullets, leaving him bathed in his blood.
“When we spoke to the doctor who carried out the post mortem examination, he told us that Jibran had been shot 19 times, mainly in his head and neck,” said Farhad Shinwari. “Needless to say he died instantly. Sadly after he had died, his body remained on the spot for a couple of hours because not a single police officer dared to approach the area, even though this was not a deserted location. Eventually with the local people’s help, the body was taken to the Landi Kotal DHQ hospital where he was pronounced dead.”
An FIR was registered against unknown persons under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) at the Landi Kotal police station.
Shinwari said Jibran had no siblings and his parents were no more; he had left behind only his wife and children and no one else in the family.
SURVIVOR
Farhad Shinwari also informed Voicepk that this was not the first time someone had tried to attack Khalil Jibran.
Farhad Shinwari also informed Voicepk that this was not the first time someone had tried to attack Khalil Jibran.
“In November 2017, him and I were covering an event when someone told us about some wires hanging below our vehicle in which we were travelling,” he said. “When we checked we saw there was an explosive device fitted underneath. We dodged death that day. We were also detained for four days in an internment centre, where we were tortured. In 2012 or 2013 – Jibran also survived a grenade attack.”
Shinwari says that from 2017 to 2021 there had been relative peace in the region, but ever since the Taliban government had taken over in Afghanistan, there had been a re emergence of militants. “Some came according to agreements with our government while others came because of the freedom and impunity they can enjoy here. Journalists in this area face a lot of threats and we have to work our way around it all.”
On Wednesday morning, before the funeral prayers, the attendees carried Khalil Jibran’s body and placed it on the Pak-Afghan Highway and blocked the traffic. The protestors demanded that the area should be cleared of all militants that had been seeping in since the Taliban in Afghanistan took over in 2021.
“People are tired of the rising militancy in the region and they have been asking the government time and again to provide security to them,” said Manzoor Afridi, a human rights activist while speaking to Voicepk. “The protesters want Khalil Jibran’s killers to be caught and they are extremely angry.” Afridi added that the militants have been audaciously roaming around the area with impunity.
Senior leader of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), Afrasiab Khattak told Voicepk that while anyone could be behind the murder, ’80 to 90 percent of the likelihood was that it was the militants operating in the area.’
“Talibanization has been creeping up very fast in this region, and the State has done nothing about it. The six to seven districts in the Southern part pf KP, beyond Kohat, including Hangu, Karak, Tank, DI Khan, and others are now completely under Taliban control. The Taliban is holding court over there and punishing people as they like. We can see videos of people who are being punished by them. So the question is where is the state’s writ? Where is the budget of the military? And where is the muscle that it talks about flexing?” – Afiab Khattak
Khattak said that the locals of the area were now desperate for change. “The anger has been brewing since some time and the public needed something to trigger it,” he says. “And then comes freedom of press. There are too many elements including militants and even the government or administration of the area that do not want journalists to do their jobs properly. They want to discourage honest reporting especially if it revolves around militancy or terrorism. I’d say the state is also no less a terrorist who have been giving these militants protection.”
Journalist Shams Mohmand announces protests in coming days ↑
Till now, no group has claimed responsibility for Khalil Jibran’s murder, even though his colleagues say that he had been facing threats from militants and even state authorities.
“It is possible that from Taliban to Lashkar-e-Islam, there can be any militant group involved in his killing,” says human rights activist Khushal Khattak. “Most attacks remain unclaimed, like the one on Kamran Dawar before this, or the targeted attacks in Waziristan. But because there are Taliban and other groups like ISKP (Islamic State of Khorasan Province) and Lashkar-e-Islam, etc present in and around these areas, we know they are involved because of how the killings are carried out. Locals also share information about how the groups function based on what they hear and see.”
Separately a protest was also held outside the Mohmand Press Club, while on Thursday and Friday more protests are expected to be seen.
