Taliban threaten to Media for Malala’s coverage

Issuing orders to target national and international media organizations over Malala’s coverage, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has appointed his subordinates in different cities of the country.

According to a report published by BBC Urdu, intelligence agencies have intercepted the telephonic conversation of Hakeemullah Mehsud with one of his sub-ordinate Nadeem Abbas alias ‘Intiqami’ in which the former was directing the later to target media personnel and organizations.

The reports observed, “Mehsud directed his subordinate to target the offices of media organizations in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and in other cities of the country especially those media outfits and media personalities who were denouncing TTP after attack on child activist Malala Yousufzai.”

Malala, a National Peace Award winner and young Pakistani rights activist, along with three other schoolmates sustained bullet injuries when some unknown assailants opened fire on their school van in Mingora early in the day.

TTP had accepted the responsibility of the attack on Malala Yousufzai on Oct 9 and justified the attack with their interpretation of the Sharia (Islamic law).

Following the information, Interior Minister Rehman Malik directed authorities concerned to beef up security nears the offices of media organizations in the country.

The report quoting an official of the minister said that the ministry has also issued directions to the religious scholars, who had publicly denounced the Taliban, to be cautious.

“The government has issued directions to the authorities to deploy additional police troops in the areas where media offices are located and help of Frontier Constabulary (FC) could also be sought if needed”, the interior ministry official informed the BBC Urdu.

Moreover, the official said that Chief Commissioner Islamabad and chief secretaries of the four provinces have been directed to hold meetings with media owners and address their security concerns.

Earlier today, a spokesman for the Swat Taliban has threatened to kill Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai after a failed attempt to assassinate his daughter.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=34000

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Oct 13 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.