Hayatullah Khan (1976-2006) was a Pakistani journalist who covered the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Khan wrote extensively about Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and tribal fighting in Waziristan, where he was discovered dead six months after his reporting contradicted Pakistan’s official statements. He reported from the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was one of the world’s most dangerous regions at the time.
Career
Hayatullah Khan was a journalist working for the Urdu-language daily Ausaf, and his work was published by the European Pressphoto Agency. He recorded 14 hours of videotape for the PBS Frontline program Return of the Taliban (2002). He also acted as a fixer for foreign journalists, and according to Eliza Griswold, he could charge hefty rates because of the hazards in Waziristan, as well as his strong work ethic and experience.
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a letter to Pakistan’s President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on August 7, 2001, after Hayatullah Khan went into hiding when the authorities threatened him with jail because of his stories regarding tribal clashes in the Waziristan region.
Khan’s Murder Mystery
His body was discovered in June 2006, six months after he was kidnapped by five unidentified gunmen on 5 December 2005, as observed by his brother Haseenullah. According to the Daily Times, one of the mysteries surrounding his death was that his kidnappers kept him alive for the entire month and his whereabouts were unknown.
Just days before his kidnapping, Pakistani police announced the death of an al-Qaeda commander named Abu Hamza Rabia, along with four others, in a bomb at an alleged terrorist hideaway in North Waziristan. The official story was that the bomb-making materials burst accidentally, but locals said the guys were murdered by a missile fired from an unmanned US drone. Khan, on the other hand, photographed what seemed to be remnants of a US Hellfire missile at the location. The images sparked angry rallies in Pakistan against the US military invading Pakistani territory. While both the authorities and local insurgent groups denied any role in his death, accusations that Pakistan security agencies were involved persisted.
Death of Khan’s Wife
Hayatullah’s widow was killed by a bomb that exploded outside her home on November 17, 2007. According to preliminary indications, she was the intended victim of the attack. According to the Daily Times, she was interviewed and stated that her husband had told her that “something” might happen to him and had mentioned people who would know why he was slain. Her death orphaned their five small children.
While a judicial inquiry was carried out, Umar Cheema member of the Committee to Protect Journalists noted that no police investigation was ever carried out and that the investigation was never made public.
Impact
Khan was the fifth and most high-profile journalist killed in Waziristan in two years, where working conditions for journalists are extremely hostile, with death threats from the Taliban and military harassment.
According to the Tribal Union of Journalists in Pakistan, as a result of the threats in Waziristan, the number of local journalists has decreased. Following his murder, journalists went on strike, and the Pakistani government launched an investigation, but no report has ever been issued.