'NWFP, FATA most unsafe region for journalists'

Peshawar, Aug.26 (ANI): Monday's incident in which an Afghan journalist, Janullah Hashimzada, was brutally murdered in Jamrud sub-division of Khyber Agency has once again highlighted that the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are the two most unsafe areas for journalists in the region.

About 12 journalists have been killed by extremists and many kidnapped since the Taliban established its writ in the region.

Musa Khan Khel, correspondent of The News and Geo News in Swat, was killed in February this year while returning home after covering a meeting of the banned Tanzim Nifaze Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM).

Another journalist from the Valley, Mohammad Shoaib, was shot dead by the security forces for alleged violation of curfew. He was taking his daughter to hospital when security personnel opened fire at him.

Similarly several media persons, who were constantly bringing the brutalities of the Taliban to the fore, have been killed by militants over the last one year.

While the government and the Army claims that extremists have been forced to retreat and the region is now safe for thousands of displaced people to return, there still exists severe threats to the lives, properties and families of media persons in NWFP and FATA, The News reports. (ANI)