Journalists Killed in 2016 - Motive Unconfirmed: Mohammad Zubair Khaksar
Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
Publication Date | 31 December 2016 |
Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2016 - Motive Unconfirmed: Mohammad Zubair Khaksar, 31 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586e0440c.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Mohammad Zubair Khaksar
Nangarhar Radio and Television
January 29, 2016, in Surkhrod, Afghanistan
Mohammed Zubair Khaksar, a reporter for Afghanistan's national television and radio broadcaster who also worked as a cultural adviser to the provincial governor in Nangahar, was fatally shot in the Moi Mubarak area of Surkhrod as he returned home from a friend's house at around 9pm, according to the Pajhwok News Agency.
No one has claimed responsibility for his killing, though the Associated Press reported that the "Voice of the Caliphate, " an unregistered radio station operated by an affiliate of the Islamic State group, had previously threatened attacks against journalists in Nangahar and neighboring regions.
Afghan authorities have promised a thorough investigation into the journalist's murder. In the period immediately before his death, Khaksar, who was also a poet, had begun working on cultural stories for the provincial government. It was not immediately clear whether his journalism, his work for the government, or some other factor was the motive for his murder.
Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.