Zaman Mehsud

Zaman Mehsud hailed from South Waziristan, a region in the tribal areas of Pakistan.^[2] He is survived by his wife and five children—three sons and two daughters—as well as his brother, Muhammad Aslam Khan.^[3][4] He was buried on 14 November 2015, although there is some uncertainty as to where he was buried. The Pakistan Press Foundation reported at the time that the funeral would be held at Narsez IDP camp in the Tank district of Pakistan on Wednesday.^[4] Another source said "his body was taken back to the Gomal area where he would be buried."^[3]

Mehsud was a journalist who worked for the Urdu-language Daily Ummat and Daily Nai Baat newspapers.^[5] He also worked for the SANA news agency and developed and ran his own Twitter news feed, called "Gomel News."^[6] He also served as the president and secretary general of the Tribal Union of Journalists' South Waziristan chapter and was a coordinator for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in the Tank district. Mehsud mainly did most of his reporting along the border with Afghanistan, in South Waziristan, located in Pakistan's region formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).^[5]

Islamabad

Tank

Tank, within Pakistan, is shown relative to the capital Islamabad.

Mehsud was murdered in the Tank district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while riding his motorcycle.^[7] This area lies east of FATA, along the border of Afghanistan, where terrorist groups such as the Taliban, Al-Qaida, and affiliates are known to operate.^[8] Rasool Shah, the district police chief, said that "Mehsud was traveling to his office when he was targeted."^[9] The police chief stated that Mehsud was on his motorcycle when two unknown assailants opened fire on him in the Tank district before running away.^[10] The police chief also stated Mehsud was shot seven times, other sources have reported between four and ten shots. Mehsud was taken to a nearby hospital and later transferred to D.I. Khan hospital, where he died from his wounds.^[9] Soon after Mehsud was murdered the Taliban Pakistan, known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the killing. In an exclusive quote to Reuters, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan commander Qari Saif Ullah Saif said, "We killed him because he was writing against us...we have some other journalists on our hit list in the region, soon we will target them."^[11] While Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the killing and many organizations strongly condemned the killing and pressed for a proper investigation, no one has been charged or convicted of the killing of Mehsud.^{[citation needed]}

The killing happened the day after the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.^[12] This is a day where journalists and news organizations are encouraged to come forward and discuss the lack of justice when it comes to convictions of violent crimes committed against journalists and media employees. "Pakistan ranks as the fifth worst country in terms of the numbers of unresolved cases of violence against journalists."^[12] According to Human Rights Watch, "More than 35 journalists and media workers have been killed in Pakistan because of their work since 2010." Many Pakistani journalists are subjected too harassment, intimidation, assault, kidnapping, and even arbitrary arrest and detention.^[13]

Mehsud's death was important because it helped shed a light on the lack of support from government officials in investigating violent crimes against journalists. On 2 December 2015, members of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas marched from the Peshawar Press Club to the door of the Governor's house where speakers addressed the public. The former president of the Tribal Union of Journalists, Safar Dawar, spoke against government officials for failing to take on the responsibility for following up on the murder of Mehsud after a faction of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the killing. Another speaker pointed out that maybe Impunity wouldn't be such a problem today if the murder of journalist, Hayatullah Khan, in 2006 had been properly investigated. Another journalist, Sailab Mahsud also stepped forward and reprimanded the governor of Peshawar for living a life of pleasure and being constantly surrounded by security while the journalist from the tribal areas are the ones actually reporting on the conflict and news in these areas, while they continue to be targeted with no assistance from the government. Naseer Azam Mehsud, is journalist that had to flee his home in Tank, after the death of Zaman Mehsud and receiving a death threat from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in the exclusive quote to Reuters. Nazeer said, "While claiming credit for killing Zaman, Qari Saifullah threatened to kill three other journalists because they are not giving coverage to Taliban stories. A fellow journalist informed me about the life threatening call from Qari Saifullah. Then, I immediately shifted." Many journalists are at a crossroads when it comes to a situation like this, because the government passed a ban that forbids covering militant groups. Even though, in 2014, the military launched an operation in the Tribal regions to get rid of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups, it has left many people displaced and threats are still at an all-time high with many of these sources coming from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and even governmental sources.^[2]