Hundreds of tribesmen protest reporter's death

KHAR, Pakistan, June 18 (Reuters) Hundreds of Pakistani tribesmen today staged a protest on Sunday against the killing of a journalist, abducted last year after reporting that an al Qaeda leader had been killed by a US missile.

The handcuffed body of the journalist, Hayatullah Khan, was found dumped in mountains outside the town of Mir Ali in the North Waziristan tribal region on the Afghan border on Friday.

He was shot in the back of the head, probably on Thursday.

More than 800 tribesmen marched in the main market of Khar, the main town of the Bajaur tribal region, chanting slogans of ''We want press freedom'' ''We want protection'' and ''Arrest killers of Hayatullah''.

Speakers at the rally criticised the government for its failure to protect journalists working in the lawless tribal region where security forces are battling al Qaeda militants and their allies.

''The government is responsible for the killing of Hayatullah,'' said Maulana Muhammad Sadiq, a local cleric and lawmaker from the region.

At least four journalists have been killed and many have fled to other parts of Pakistan since government forces intensified its war against terrorism in tribal regions, particularly in Waziristan, in early 2004.

Khan covered security issues for various publications including the Nation English-language newspaper and several foreign news organisations.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international group for press freedom, said Khan had in the past been threatened by security forces, suspected Taliban members and tribesmen for his reporting.

US forces in Afghanistan detained him for five days in 2002, his colleagues said.

In Karachi, journalists from South Asian countries attending a regional conference also held a protest and demanded an investigation into Khan's killing.

Later, speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said he had already ordered a probe and promised its findings would be made public.

Journalists and opposition members of parliament yesterday walked out of a National Assembly session in Islamabad to protest Khan's killing.

Shortly before his abduction, Khan had reported on an explosion in a militant hideout near the Afghan border that killed Abu Hamza Rabia.

Authorities said Rabia was a senior al Qaeda leader and was killed on December 1 when explosives at the hideout went off accidentally.

But residents said the hideout was hit by a missile and Khan was the first reporter to photograph fragments found at the scene that appeared to be from a US missile.

REUTERS KD KP1557