An Afghan television journalist known as a vocal critic of militancy was shot dead by unidentified gunmen close to Peshawar on Monday.
Janullah Hashimzada was travelling with a colleague from the Afghan border at Torkham to Peshawar city in a public bus. The gunmen forced the bus to stop near Jamrud and opened fire at Mr. Hashimzada, killing him on the spot. His colleague Ali Khan was injured.
Mr. Hashimzada (40) worked for Shamshad TV, an Afghan television channel, and also contributed to international media outlets.
Earlier this month, a journalist with Aaj Television, Siddique Bachcha Khan, was killed in Mardan. Last month in Buner, militants bombed the house of a reporter for Voice of America and Khyber Television, Rehman Buneri. In February, Musa Khan Khel, a Swat-based reporter for Geo Television, was killed as he covered a controversial peace deal between militants and the government.
The reported disarray in the Taliban has not led to any let up in the dangerous working conditions for journalists in the region. With their high visibility, reporters, especially those working in the electronic media, have become easy targets in the North-West Frontier Province, coming under pressure from both militants and government.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for killing Mr. Hashimzada.
