- 21 Apr 2012
Militants blow up girls' school in Khyber Agency - 20 Apr 2012
Lessons from Bannu: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa tightens security at all central jails - 23 Mar 2012
Suicide attack 'kills five' at mosque in Khyber Agency - 13 Apr 2012
Khyber Agency operation: ‘Govt intends to quicken pace but has few options to restore peace’ - 28 Mar 2012
Inside Khyber Agency - V: Lashkar-e-Islam promised justice, delivered violence
- RSS
- Today's Paper
- Subscribe
- beta 2.1
Alerts
Life and death in Khyber Agency
It is a 'privilege' to go to the tribal areas if you are an ‘outsider’ and come back alive.
The writer is a features writer for The Express Tribune and can be reached on twitter: @TahaSSiddiqui
Last month, I had the privilege of visiting the tribal areas for the first time. I say privilege because it is not an easy task to go to the tribal areas if you are an ‘outsider’ and come back alive; and so my reporting trip to Khyber Agency had many twists and turns that you may not have felt while reading my five series report published recently.
For example, when I sent out a detailed email to my editor for coverage in Khyber Agency, I expected him to jump at the idea. But he immediately replied with a single concern –– “what is the guarantee that you will not get kidnapped?”
But journalists have an irrational itch to report information to the public, so after giving several reassurances to my superiors, I got the approval. Little did I know, this was only the beginning of my fear and loathing on the road to Afghanistan.
I stopped in Peshawar where a friend, Irfan Afridi, from Khyber Agency, took the responsibility to be my lifeguard. Another man accompanying us was Ahmed Choudry, who was exploring business opportunities to Afghanistan.
We spent the night with Irfan’s family in Peshawar and when his family found out about our plans, they also said “you will get killed”.
At this point, I thought to humour myself with these nerve-wracking premonitions. We started to joke about bartering Ahmed for our lives because of his American nationality. Humour helped calm my nerves with all the perceived death warnings.
The next morning, I was advised to wear shalwar qameez and a mosque cap. I had also been growing a beard as some locals who I had spoken to earlier said it will be ‘safer’ that way. Looking in the mirror that day, I barely recognised myself but at least I would stay alive, I thought.
With an eerie feeling, the trip started with lots of tense, silent moments and slowly we made our way to Khyber Agency. We were stopped at many check points but since Irfan was driving with another local sitting in the front, again as a safety measure, it was not a problem.
I met with people in Jamrud, Landi Kotal and Torkham but returned that same evening to Peshawar since the locals we met said it would be dangerous to stay in the Agency. But dangerous from whom?
Some say it is the Lashkar-i-Islam and when I tried to meet them, I was again reminded that I might endanger myself. But when I interviewed them over the phone, they warmly invited me to visit. The spokesperson said that he would guarantee my safety but added there were ‘other’ forces that may kill me.
Who are these unknown men? Talking to stakeholders, it has become difficult to say who is behind the killings since everyone has their own versions of truth. And worst affected are the refugees from the no-go areas of Bara and Teerah Valley.
But I feel these deaths are a mixture of power struggle, coupled with extortion from traders and avenging of feuds that today are being labelled as terrorism in Khyber Agency.
As I discuss with people the need to investigate and do more ground reporting in Fata, I still hear a lot of ‘you will not come back alive’. In my defence, if I made it alive once I can do it again.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 23rd, 2012.
Reader Comments (12)
Opinion Latest Stories
Onward, after the elections
May the new governments complete their tenures so that they have enough time to implement their manifestos.
Milk — it does a body good
As a mother and a Pakistani, I stand by my conviction that milk is not a luxury or a privilege, but a right of all.
Female officer transferred
The courage of individuals who resist the culture of corruption gives hope that corruption can one day be uprooted.
New fault lines
The fact that some parties could not campaign or hold public political activities in 3 provinces is totally forgotten.
Building strong bridges
A united effort needs to be forged to take the country forward without hindrance.
Economic ties with China (II)
Pakistanis should focus on reaching to a level where other countries, not only China will also want to invest.
Economic ties with China
Our trade with China runs into billions of dollars and that is something which is not worthless.
Fight now, negotiate later
Government must gain military advantage over jihadists to be able to dictate terms so that negotiations lead to peace.
Talking to the Taliban
Are we simply going to ask outlaws to put down their arms and join the mainstream of the country’s politics?
Recent Slideshows
More in Opinion
Americans and Saudis: hands off Pakistan’s pipeline please!
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is copyrighted © 2013 The Express Tribune News Network.
Technical feedback? [email protected]
“But I feel these deaths are a mixture of power struggle, coupled with extortion from traders and avenging of feuds that today are being labelled as terrorism in Khyber Agency.” Either you really know nothing and all this trip was just a waste of your time, or you don’t want to share your findings with other Pakistanis. :) Because this can really cost you your life, more so than staying in Khyber Agency. I wish you had also mentioned that before all this crazy environment of militancy, these same agencies were safe for outsiders and that they were always welcomed.
Recommend
haha “grow a beard and wear a mosque cap” mummy daddy kids should not travel to the tribal areas!
Recommend
You can be safe in Khyber as long as you are like one of them. You see OBL, those tajiks and uzbek guests all were safe over there, you liberals have to make issue out of everything. That is why we say SAFMA keeps saying bad things about pakistan.
Recommend
Its not same all over tribal area’s just visit parachinar you will see guys with mohoak and spikes. . . .but still there is no gurntee, you return alive.
Recommend
When opened the opinion page of tribune the first thing that struck my eye was this article but after reading it i was disappointed because the article more focussed on writer becoming hero to go to khyber agency. But this isn’t the case in Question under discussion. Reporters should not write about there heroic journey in to wild rather bring the facts and figures and explain the way forward after having the in-depth analysis of the area. This what journalism is about and this what an educated man like the writer himself must do.
Moreover i just want to say going to khyber agency for few hrs is not a big deal at all. People even from punjab still go to khyber agency with friends and BBQs, spend nights and attend wedding ceremonies so it not a very big deal to go to Khyber agency. Yes there kidnappings there and people are killed in the name of local feuds or in the garb of talibans but as portrayed by the writer. I suggest that he should visit North / South waziristan even bajour and report from there for about a month meet people on the the sides and share with us his experience and present his analysis. Recommend
Our record of journalist working in Tribal Areas is not very good. We heard many have lost their life. So your concern is valid.Anything that convey the ground reporting some journalists has to take risk of their life. We have heard of many a dare to death journalists who have taken tremendous risk . So we prey of your life when next time you attempt to visit the tribal areas.
Recommend
This is an excellent, humbling piece… thank you for sharing this and other stories from Khyber.
Recommend
He dare to go there at least , I hope next time he ‘ll vist famlies and ppl &. ‘d gather some useful notes to sort out the situation , Best of Luck for the next time :))
Recommend
this is not fair ET .. u never let my comments posted. i belong to fata (khyber agency) and i have issues with what the writer is trying to portray here. why don’t u let my comments posted. i m not a bloger or writer and i can’t counter him by writing a blog as i don’t know how to write it .
atleast be fair and let my comments in.. this writer tried to portray a differend picture of Khayber agency n its not the first time.. last time he also got it wrong. Khyber Agency is NOT just Jamrud, Landikotal and Torkham. You visited just part of Khyber Agency which is called Jamrood tehsil.. go to Bara Tehsil and then come back with your heriocs on ET.
That’s why i have issues with you journalists. visiting a place and meeting a man or two and coming back with an opinion? is this journalism ? what standard is this? try and go to khyber agency as a whole if you have titled your post “KHYBER AGENCY”..
Recommend
I heard that in Khyber agency its the local Lashkar-e-Islam vs TTP.
Recommend
It’s completely misleading and sensational write-up. Thousands of people cross Pak-Afghan border via Torkham along with their families. From Peshawar to Torkham you will never feel any sense of fear but yest going to Bara and Tira Valley is dangerous. It is on the record that no journalist has gone to Bara and Tirah, since curfew is imposed their and Pak Army give no permission for access to these remote areas. For God sake don’t confute and mix up sensationalism with news.Recommend
Glad to hear that an outsider journalist made a visit to Khyber Agency..in your article, you have just visited to Jamrud, Landi Kotal and Torkham but you have missed one place to visit and that is Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency…
all these areas you have visited are safe and secure. Everyone including foreigners can go there freely…
and if you want to go there, i mean to Bara, where the fighters of Lashker Islam still have control over the area. Than you can contact me….
Recommend