The Taliban in Pakistan have now claimed responsibility for the murder of Dr Mohammad Farooq Khan, writes foreign affairs producer Nevine Mabro.
The Taliban in Pakistan have now claimed responsibility for the murder of Dr Mohammad Farooq Khan, writes foreign affairs producer Nevine Mabro. The vice chancellor of Swat Islamic University, Dr Farooq was shot and killed on Saturday, outside his clinic in Marden in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Paktunkhwa province.
In a statement the Swat Taliban said Dr Farooq Khan was “involved in propaganda against the Taliban. He also wrote against us in his books.”
I met Dr Farooq Khan last year at his home in Marden, At the entrance of his large estate a white Russian sled dog enthusiastically welcomed us. “If the Taliban knew I had dogs I would be in trouble” Dr Khan told us with a laugh. “They don’t like dogs.”
I had travelled to Marden last year to interview refugees fleeing fighting between the army and the Taliban in Swat Valley. Tens of thousands of people arrived in Marden, but the government camps could not accommodate the large numbers – so Dr Farooq Khan set up a camp for 40 refugees on his private land. He told us the army needed to finish the job quickly. ”It is extremely important for the government to clear the area and to finish in one to two months, or maximum three months. If they leave 10 to 15% of militants in Swat or other areas, that’s another nucleus for all the other militants to gather there, and that will be another danger and risk for Pakistan.”
Dr Farooq Khan was an Islamic scholar and a liberal voice in conservative Khyber Paktunkhwa. He was a former member of Jamaat e islami, a religious party in Pakistan that advocates a pure Islamic state governed by Sharia law. He criticised the Taliban’s use of suicide bombers as un-Islamic. We drank tea and he told us how he had tried to prevent the military offensive by acting as a negotiator between the Taliban commander in the area, Mullah Fazlullah, and the government. His efforts, like those of many others, failed.
Despite the violence he was optimistic. Hopefully the fighting won’t last long, he told us. And after the military offensive, efforts would be needed to find a lasting peace – a process he was keen to be part of. “My family have a long history in Swat”, he said. “I am happy to talk to the Taliban”.
Dr Farooq Khan was an impressive man. Energetic and enthusiastic about the future. As we left his house he gave us a copy of the Koran. He had translated it into Pashto with notes for young people. He said the Taliban misrepresented Islam and that it was more liberal, more tolerant than many people thought. “We need to spread a different vision”, he told us. A former radical promoting a liberal vision for Pakistan’s future.
The army offensive succeeded in pushing most of the Taliban from the main areas of Swat. There is now a heavy army presence on the streets. But in more remote areas of Upper Swat they are still active. A girl’s school was blown up a couple of weeks ago – a sign that the militants are still present, if not in control. And the targeted killings, such as Dr Khan’s, shows that the Taliban are not afraid to silence those who criticise them.
Below you can watch the Channel 4 News interview with Dr Farooq Kahn, frst broadcast in May last year.
The Taliban in Pakistan have now claimed responsibility for the murder of Dr Mohammad Farooq Khan, the vice chancellor of Swat Islamic University, writes foreign affairs producer Nevine Mabro. Dr Farooq was shot and killed on Saturday, outside his clinic in Marden in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Paktunkhwa province.
In a statement the Swat Taliban said Dr Farooq Khan was “involved in propaganda against the Taliban. He also wrote against us in his books.”
I met Dr Farooq Khan last year at his home in Marden, At the entrance of his large estate a white Russian sled dog enthusiastically welcomed us. “If the Taliban knew I had dogs I would be in trouble” Dr Khan told us with a laugh. “They don’t like dogs.”
I had travelled to Marden last year to interview refugees fleeing fighting between the army and the Taliban in Swat Valley. Tens of thousands of people arrived in Marden, but the government camps could not accommodate the large numbers – so Dr Khan set up a camp for 40 refugees on his private land. He told us the army needed to finish the job quickly. ”It is extremely important for the government to clear the area and to finish in one to two months, or maximum three months. If they leave 10 to 15% of militants in Swat or other areas, that’s another nucleus for all the other militants to gather there, and that will be another danger and risk for Pakistan.”
Dr Khan was an Islamic scholar and a liberal voice in conservative Khyber Paktunkhwa. He was a former member of Jamaat e islami, a religious party in Pakistan that advocates a pure Islamic state governed by Sharia law. He criticised the Taliban’s use of suicide bombers as un-Islamic. We drank tea and he told us how he had tried to prevent the military offensive by acting as a negotiator between the Taliban commander in the area, Mullah Fazlullah, and the government. His efforts, like those of many others, failed.
Despite the violence he was optimistic. Hopefully the fighting won’t last long, he told us. And after the military offensive, efforts would be needed to find a lasting peace – a process he was keen to be part of. “My family have a long history in Swat”, he said. “I am happy to talk to the Taliban”.
Dr Khan was an impressive man. Energetic and enthusiastic about the future. As we left his house he gave us a copy of the Koran. He had translated it into Pashto with notes for young people. He said the Taliban misrepresented Islam and that it was more liberal, more tolerant than many people thought. “We need to spread a different vision”, he told us. A former radical promoting a liberal vision for Pakistan’s future.
The army offensive succeeded in pushing most of the Taliban from the main areas of Swat. There is now a heavy army presence on the streets. But in more remote areas of Upper Swat they are still active. A girl’s school was blown up a couple of weeks ago – a sign that the militants are still present, if not in control. And the targeted killings, such as Dr Khan’s, shows that the Taliban are not afraid to silence those who criticise them.
Below you can watch the Channel 4 News interview with Dr Farooq Kahn, frst broadcast in May last year.