Aaj TV
August 14, 2009, in Mardan, Pakistan
Unidentified gunmen shot dead Bacha Khan in
the city of
A news correspondent for the independent Aaj TV channel, Bacha Khan was ambushed by gunmen and shot at close range, the channel reported on its Web site. Earlier he had interviewed family members of a former military official who was killed by Taliban and was returning to the office when he was shot, the channel's bureau chief, Imtiaz Awan, said on its Web site.
The journalist died en route to the hospital, according to Aaj TV and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists.
It was not clear whether the murder was related to Bacha Khan's reporting. Police are investigating the death, which occurred in a notoriously unstable region where journalists are often at risk from militant groups or security forces. President Asif Ali Zardari called for the authorities to complete a report on the case as soon as possible, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.
