Powered by
Sponsored by

Afghan journalist rejects news of Taliban killing him as fake

Yaad was reporting about poverty and unemployment when the attack took place

ziarkhanf Tolo reporter Ziar Khan Yaad | Twitter

Ziar Khan Yaad, a reporter from Afghanistan's first independent news channel, Tolo News was beaten up by the Taliban. Yaad and his cameramen were reporting on poverty and unemployment at Haji Yaqub intersection in Kabul. 

Earlier reports said that Yaad had been killed. Tolo news channel too carried a report that said Yaad had been killed. 

He clarified the report with a tweet. “I was beaten by the Taliban in Kabul's New City while reporting. Cameras, technical equipment and my personal mobile phone have also been hijacked Some people have spread the news of my death which is false. The Taliban got out of an armoured Land Cruiser and hit me at gunpoint,” he wrote.

In another tweet, he wrote, “I still don't know why they behaved like that and suddenly attacked me. The issue has been shared with Taliban leaders; however, the perpetrators have not yet been arrested, which is a serious threat to freedom of expression.”

The incident comes about a month after Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was killed by the Taliban. Siddiqui, who won a Pulitzer for his images of Rohingya refugees in 2018, was brutally tortured to death.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on August 24 said the US. must stick to its self-imposed deadline for withdrawing all troops, saying "after that, we won't let Afghans be taken out" on evacuation flights.

He also said the Taliban would bar Afghans from accessing roads leading to the airport while allowing foreigners to pass through in order to prevent large crowds from massing outside the facility. It was clear if they would stop Afghans who are escorted by foreigners or in the process of being evacuated by Western nations.

📣 The Week is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TheWeekmagazine) and stay updated with the latest headlines