Who is unhappy with Media in Swat?

Mingora, Swat: “The pen is mightier than the sword” was a phrase that we learnt at school. Unfortunately, the dangerous situation in Swat has changed this phrase. Now it should be like “the gun is mightier than the pen”. The truth is bitter and difficult to digest. The assassination of brave journalist Musa Khankhel in the valley of Swat has discouraged many who always believed in the might of the pen. Not only a few but dozens of journalists have left Swat within hours after the burial of their colleague Musa Khankhel. Many television channels moved their staff with equipment to safe places like Peshawar. Now the world may not watch the live coverage of the peace march initiated by Maulna Sufi Muhammad or the Janza (burial ceremony) of any slain journalist from Swat.

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A senior journalist of Swat introduced me to at least two of his local colleagues and claimed “these two soldiers of the pen will also be killed very soon because they are fearless like Musa Khankhel, but maybe you will not be able to  telecast live the Janaza (burial ceremony) of these two ”.   At least three local journalists working with prominent television channels informed me that they were receiving life threats even after the assassination of Musa Khankhel. Some of them were told by the unidentified callers the that technical staff of their channels came from Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar for t live coverage of the situation in Swat; that they will live and should leave the region immediately. Two technicians of Geo television, with a van full of transmission equipment, were rounded up by Taliban in the Chaharbagh area of Swat the other day. The Taliban declared them spies, but later released them with a promise that they will not come back to their area again.

The Taliban of Swat generally considers electronic media as their enemy

   An emergency meeting was called in Swat Press Club to discuss new threats faced by journalists. I tried my level best to convince more than 150 journalists present there that they should not leave Swat. Maybe I was not aware about the problems faced by the local colleagues. They retorted saying that government is not in a position to provide them security. On the other hand, their higher ups at work always push them to find some exclusive stories and visuals. This urge for exclusives is not in the interest of both the Taliban and security forces. They face problems from both of them. One journalist angrily said that he can only continue his profession by keeping a heavy weapon with him. I discouraged him and said that journalists should not carry weapons and they can take some other security measures, but most of  the colleagues present there never agreed with me. A young journalist showed me his pistol hidden under his jacket and said that he doesn’t move without his gun.   One local journalist proposed in the meeting that “we request all our non-local colleagues to leave Swat immediately because there is no government here and we cannot provide them security, they should come back on some other good time”. Within seconds the majority of the local and non-local journalists supported this proposal. Only one local journalist Shrinzada and a local newspaper editor Ghulam Farooq opposed this move and pleaded with tears in their eyes that they are ready to sacrifice their lives like Musa Khankhel, but they will not stop speaking and writing truth. We had no other choice than to respect the majority. I also accepted the majority decision and agreed to leave Swat, but I must explain that why the presence of independent media is not in the interest of both Taliban and security forces.   The Taliban of Swat generally considers electronic media as their enemy. They think that all the private television networks are in the control of government and that electronic media only project the destruction of schools run by them. They accuse the electronic media of having no courage in showing a school occupied by the Army  and used as bunker. They allege that sometimes local journalists provide information about their presence to security forces and, as revenge, they have banned all the television channels on cable in Swat.   On the other side, security forces officials always accuse that media as projecting Taliban as "heroes." The Government of Pakistan has also discouraged the coverage of “terrorists” by the media, but the same government and security forces have no problem in negotiating and making deals with the “terrorists”. Some top officials in the security establishment always considered brave journalists like Musa Khankhel as a “bad chaps”. The slain journalist always refused to accept dictation from the security officials. His bad temperament was another problem. Once a security official abused Musa Khankhel and in return he was abused by Musa. It was the start of a big problem. Musa was kidnapped and beaten for two days. He was threatened not to make noise, otherwise his family would be killed. Musa shared this incident with me and with some other colleagues. I wrote about these threats in an article published in the editorial pages of “The News” on January 13 2009.   I wrote in that article: “I also know another journalist of Swat by the name of Musa Khankhel for many years. In the last few months alone, he has survived two assassination attempts. He told me that some elements within the security forces wanted to eliminate him physically due to his reporting.   A few hours before his murder, Musa Khankhel sent me a message that I had to be careful while moving in the Kabbal area of Swat. I asked him why he was worried even after the peace initiative of Maulna Sufi Muhammad and the 10-day ceasefire declared by the Taliban. Musa Khankhel answered: “You will watch the scenes of destruction in the civilian residential areas of Kabbal. You will show destroyed homes and mosques and people will compare your coverage with the bombing of Israelis in Gaza. You will become a security risk and they will kill you in the name of national interest and the blame will be thrown on the shoulders of the Taliban”. He convinced me that my movement in the most dangerous area of Swat was not in the interest of those who always considered free media as their enemy.   I never underestimated his opinion and immediately I came out of Kabbal. Only two hours after this conversation on telephone, I received the shocking news about the killing of Musa, who was concerned about my security but not about his own. He saved me but I could not save him. Peace in Swat was a dream of Musa Khankhel, but he is no longer alive to fight for peace in Swat. The situation in this valley of horror and terror is very complicated, but I am still hopeful despite the fact that there is lot of distrust between the local Taliban and security forces. The moving force behind this peace initiative is the common people of Swat. ANP, the ruling party in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) ,was formed by Bacha Khan who belonged to Indian National Congress before the partition of United India. Awami National Party (ANP) is a secular and liberal party and it took big risk by negotiating peace with religious cleric Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who doesn’t support democracy but supports peace in Swat. The ANP leadership is aware that if there would be peace in Swat then the Pakistani government will get a chance to establish its writ. A provincial minister Bashir Balour was able to visit Swat on February 18th after waiting a long time. Two more ministers of ANP visited Swat the next day on February 19th   to offer condolences on the death of Musa Khankhel to local journalists. Visits of provincial ministers to the "no-go area" of Swat proves that ANP will not be the only beneficiary of peace in Swat but the whole state of Pakistan will ultimately benefit, because only peace can help the state to establish its writ. Anti-democratic religious cleric Maulana Sufi Muhammad accepted the importance of political forces by sitting with them for negotiating peace. This move is the victory of these political forces because finally they will try to force the Taliban to surrender their arms. If the Taliban would agree to surrender, then a provincial government will announce amnesty for them. More than 400 closed schools can only be reopened and more than 200 destroyed schools can only be rebuilt when the state will be able to establish its writ. Thousands of girls can go back to their school education only through the success of the peace initiative. Maulana Sufi Muhammad has promised to the people of Swat that he will make efforts to reopen the girls' schools. He cannot black out.   The majority of people in Swat say that “Peace and stability of our area is more important than winning the so-called war against terror”. They are angry with the reaction of the West and some liberal Pakistani analysts who think that peace will only benefit the Taliban. These analysts must take a risk themselves and visit Swat in the better interest of the truth. They will realize that there are only two options for the state of Pakistan to bring stability in Swat. One is peace and the other is war. The Pakistani state cannot win this war because their use of guns and tanks will keep producing more Taliban fighters. If there is be no peace there will be more anarchy. There will be no development. No schools, no newspapers and no television networks. More journalists will be killed. More journalists will leave Swat.   I am leaving Swat today. I am committed to coming back to Swat Valley,  but I cannot come back if there is no peace. I can only use my pen and camera for reporting truth if there would be peace. Otherwise I will become another Musa Khankhel and my pen will be silenced. Musa was killed by those who don’t want peace. The ANP Minister of NWFP government, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, said that Musa was killed by a “third force”. He never named that third force. May be he will expose that mysterious third force after bringing peace go Swat.   Musa once asked me a question that if the British government could talk to the Irish Republic Army (IRA) and could make peace with them, then why couldn't the Pakistani government negotiate peace with the Taliban? I know that Mr. Gordon Brown or Mr. Barack Obama would not like this question to be answered. May be they will also say that Musa Khankhel was a "Taliban sympathizer."