Remembering Mukarram Khan
In 2001, just after U.S. invasion in Afghanistan, a tribal journalist from Mohmand Agency was captured near Kandhar along with another Pakistani & a French journalist. All 3 were taken into the captivity of Afghan Taliban on suspicion of being American spies. As their case went before the Taliban court, the tribal journalist found himself with an unexpected advantage; he was the only one who could understand both English, Urdu & Pushto.
Thus, he entered into the unlikeliest contract of all; working as a paid translator for Taliban while in captivity. At the end of the 3 months which marked the end of his ordeal, the tribal journalists had earned around 20 thousand rupees from Taliban.
That is how I knew Mukarram Khan; the only guy to have actually made money while under Taliban captivity. But the same man, who outsmarted and survived the Afghan Taliban for 3 long months, could not save himself from our home grown monsters; Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan assassinated Mukarram Khan yesterday for not giving them enough coverage.
Last year, Mukarram Khan had to leave his hometown in Mohmand due to constant threats to himself and his family; but rather than moving further away, he chose to remain in FATA and continued to dispense of his duties as a journalist from Shabqadar, Charsadda. He worked as a correspondent for multiple national and international news outlets. I knew him only for a short week; but he changed my own stereotypical perspective of what Tribesmen are usually like.
His experiences in the conflict zone showed me how little we really get to know of the brutalities that FATA residents face. His passion and dedication to the profession was unmatched. But the most amazing thing about Mukarram Khan was his spirit; with experiences harsh enough to turn anyone into a jaded, bitter, brooding robot, but Mukkartam Khan did not only manage to come across as a positive, soft spoken person quoting Faiz and Ghalib at every other thing, but was also progressive in ways we normally do not associate with the men of the tribal belt.
Mukarram Khan, receiving a certificate in Islamabad.
Having known him personally, it pains me to put Mukaram Khan in the context of gory statistics; but here is the heart breaking fact; Mukarram Khan is the first one to have perished in the line of duty this year, but in all, he has simply joined the long list of Pakistani journalists who have been killed after the start of this so called war against terror. Like all those who went before him, Mukaram Khan’s untimely death has brought along messages of condemnation and sympathies from the rulers and journalist unions; however, as always, there isn’t any noise or effort to find the assassins and bring them to justice.
Impunity, as always, prevails.
In the beginning of December 2011, I heard the Federal Secretary Information speak at an International Conference regarding safety of journalists. He did not only refrain from giving any concrete answers to the question of impunity, but also claimed to have no knowledge of the fact that around 20 journalists have been killed in Balochistan. At the same conference Interior Minister Rehman Malik proudly talked of the government’s efforts to end impunity by mentioning the commission formed to probe the murder of Saleem Shahzad; the same commission whose findings can be summed in three words; ‘he was murdered’.
DG ISPR, Maj Gen. Ather Abbas who also made an appearance gracefully placed the burden of killings on the victims themselves, accusing them of ‘’not informing the security forces’’ when going into danger zones.
I’d like to ask him, exactly who should have been informed yesterday, when Mukarram Khan went to a mosque to pray. I’d like to ask Mr. Rehman Malik, whether we need another commission simply to determine the fact that, yes, Mukarram Sahib was murdered. As for the information secretary, I ‘ll wait till he happens to visit another event where he can be informed of Mukkaram Khan’s tragic passing.
But the anger directed at the government authorities cannot match my disappointment with the media outlets, associations & unions.
Like the murders before him, Mukkaram Khan’s demise is also being treated simply as a sensational story; a story whose airing might help generate support for his grieved family, but a story that is missing context and accountability nonetheless. There has been a mention of previous murders, but hasn’t been any pressure to actually end impunity. Every single day, we see Kamran Khan and the likes busting their nerves screaming about hypothetical political crisis; but when it comes to issues that really need their relentless, passionate attention, we see them falling quiet or mentioning them simply as an afterthought.
Saleem Shahzad’s murder was touted as a turning point in this culture as we saw the media fraternity sitting together to demand an investigation. But the utterly useless result of the investigation has failed to rile the media.
If things remain same, Mukarram Khan’s murder would only mark the beginning of yet another bloody year of journalists in Pakistan.
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In post script, If one reads the news stories that have appeared in different newspapers today, there is needless stress on only one aspect – He was working for an American media outlet; Deewa Radio, VOA’s Pushto news service.
First, he was a stringer for Deewa, the American radio station and a full correspondent for Dunya, the local, national TV channel; when writing news stories reporters and specially their editors should know which description is more apt. The only one to actually mention Dunya before VOA was an international organization, Committee for Protection of Journalists.
Secondly, by stressing on the ‘’American’’ news outlet bit, they are giving the impression that his targeting was a result of his apparent American association; it wasn’t, he was targeted for not succumbing to the will of Taliban and spreading their message of hate. And while reporting on incidents like this, our newspapers need to ensure that they do not come across as offering excuses for such unacceptable incidents.
An edited version also appeared in The Express Tribune Blogs.
may he rest i peace. Its the first instance in which TTP has accepted responsibility and have announced systematic targeting, although journalists have suffered at the hands of militants before this.
Hi – I had posted a long reply at the Tribune Blog website last night but it’s still not up. I am posting it here – your piece was extremely apt. (Just one change/addition in brackets in the first line to clear it-)
Starts:
“Thanks Sadaf for your homage to Mukarram Khan.
I was waiting for one to come in the last 24 hours. I am shocked at the complete silence elsewhere (on him as a person by media men) at his death. Nothing in op-eds, just a reprint of what was released by VOA. All that has been there has been a “condemnation” by the union – Mukarram Khan deserved way more than that.
When I read of his death online last night around 11.30 pm, I actually dialled his number to confirm it. A male relative picked up the phone and said that indeed it had happened. All I could do was mumble my condolence to him and his family. I am still stunned.
Two years back while I was still working at a local monthly, and the operations in Fata and NWFP were at their peak, he was a veritable source of information. I remember speaking to him so many times on the phone over many many months, asking him for updates which he willingly gave without any hesitation. Nothing asked in return except for anonymity because he feared for his life for what he was telling. Like so many others reporting from the tribal areas.
He would often talk about the threats he faced from the militants as well as the military whenever he covered one or the other. No one wants a bad report card and in his case he could not deliver any other for the two. He was on the Taliban hit-list then even –
At the desk, you are sitting miles and miles away, and so when you come across a person who is not from your news organisation yet his information is always solid and reliable, you realise their true value.
His death is tragic. Rarely do you find journalists who work for their people, and their land.
May be he couldn’t pen a sentence in English, which has become the bar for deciding who a journalist is lately, may be he wasn’t as high profile as Saleem Shahzad or worked as closely with the ‘right’ kind of journalists but this man put in a lot of effort into his work.
When most people had fled Mohmand, he stayed back and would visit it to check on how his area was, how the people who refused to go away were, what was happening in the midst of the operations.
Before this starts becoming one long incoherent post, I’d like to conclude this with that there are so many other ‘simple’ reporters in the tribal areas who work under such circumstances with no respite. In big cities one has often heard of wage boards and bonuses – these men out there work as stringers and dont even have simple things like health or life insurance. I wish someone would speak to them and highlight their issues. May be they don’t make for fancy glam headlines but they are part of this community as well left unprotected.”
Ends.
Update: Tribune finally moderated/approved the reply on the blog.
I just saw your comment here – replied on Tribune as well. Thank you for the detailed response. I knew Mukarram Sb only for a short while but his death has saddened and shocked me. I do not know if I can do anything in my personal capacity to improve the situation for journalist, but am determined to try.
I agree that Mukarram sb was a very brave journalist with an amazing personality and the media needs to stand by him. We are pressuring all anchors / show talk teams on facebook / twitter to at least produce a show for him. Join in the effort.
well-said, all of it.
heartbreaking indeed.