PESHAWAR: Unidentified assailants on Tuesday shot dead a senior journalist, Khalil Jibran, in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, a police official said, in the latest incident of violence in the restive region during the three-day Eid Al-Adha holiday.
The northwestern Pakistani province, which borders Afghanistan, has been the scene of a number of attacks on police, security forces and anti-polio vaccination teams in recent weeks.
Jibran, a former president of the Landi Kotal Press club in KP’s Khyber tribal district, was en route to his home in the district headquarters of Landi Kotal, when he came under attack by the suspects.
“He [Jibran] was coming back from his friend’s hujra [guest room] after dinner when he was killed by unknown assailants,” Saleem Abbas Kulachi, Khyber district police chief, told Arab News
“Police found bullet shells of M4 and AK-47 [rifles] at the scene,” he added.
The development came days after the Pakistani Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced a three-day ceasefire with the government in Islamabad from June 17 till June 19 on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned Jibran’s killing and extended his heartfelt sympathies to the deceased’s family, according to his office.
“Police have been asked to take necessary action for immediate arrest of the suspects,” it said.
Journalist bodies have announced a protest against Jibran’s killing across all tribal districts of the province on Thursday.
Separately, three bodies were found in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan tribal district, while a religious party leader, who was injured in a shooting in the South Waziristan district last week, succumbed to his wounds on Tuesday, according to officials. No group claimed responsibility for the killings.
Pakistan has witnessed a spike in militant violence in its two western provinces, KP and Balochistan, since the TTP called off its fragile truce with the government in November 2022.
Islamabad has blamed the surge in violence on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation and says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue of Islamabad.
Senior journalist shot dead in northwest Pakistan over Eid holiday
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Senior journalist shot dead in northwest Pakistan over Eid holiday
- Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been the scene of a number of attacks on police, security forces in recent weeks
- Islamabad has blamed the surge in violence on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegation
Pakistan rejects Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, alleged plans to displace Palestinians
- Israel last week became the world’s first country to recognize Somaliland, a breakaway region from the African nation
- As per media reports, Israel has contacted Somaliland over potential relocation of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Acting UN Ambassador Usman Jadoon this week rejected Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Somaliland region by describing it as a unilateral and unlawful move, saying Islamabad stands opposed to any plans aimed at forcefully displacing Palestinians from Gaza.
Last week, Israel announced it had recognized Somaliland, a breakaway African region that declared independence from Somalia in 1991. The move sparked anger among Muslim states, with 21 Islamic nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) rejecting Israel’s move collectively in a joint statement last week.
Several international news outlets months earlier reported that Israel had contacted Somaliland over the potential resettlement of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza. Muslim countries fear Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region could be part of its plan to relocate Palestinians forcibly from Gaza to the region.
“We strongly condemn the unilateral and unlawful recognition by Israel of the ‘Somaliland’ region of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” Jadoon, Pakistan’s acting permanent representative to the UN, said at a meeting of the Security Council on Monday.
“It is a direct assault on Somalia’s internationally recognized borders and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.”
Jadoon said Israel’s move is alarming, especially when Somalia seems to be showing encouraging progress on its political and institutional trajectory.
“This positive momentum must be protected and reinforced, not undermined by actions that risk fragmenting the country and reversing hard-won progress,” he said.
Jadoon pointed to Israel’s previous references to Somaliland as a destination for deported Palestinians, especially from Gaza, saying Tel Aviv’s recognition of the region in this context is “deeply troubling.”
It said Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land has been a source of conflict in the Middle East, noting that it was now exporting this “destabilizing conduct” to the Horn of Africa.
“Pakistan unequivocally rejects any proposals or plans aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians,” Jadoon said. “Any actions that advocate or imply displacement or resettlement not only violate international law but also undermine the prospect of a just and lasting peace.”
He said Islamabad stands firmly with the government of Somalia as it attempts to uphold peace and ensure progress in the country.
“In conclusion, Pakistan calls upon the Security Council and the broader international community to speak with one voice and reject all actions that undermine Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity,” Jadoon added.
