A reporter’s ability to cover a murder case is hampered by sectarian concerns.

In a matter of hours, the whole area had plunged into chaos as news of Allama Ali Sher Hyderi’s murder began to circulate in the city, recalls Mansoor Mirani, Dawn’s correspondent in Khairpur.

Hyderi, who was the chief patron of the Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat Pakistan and leader of the proscribed Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), was gunned down in an early morning attack last week when he was returning with his supporters from a local seminary.

‘After confirming the news from my sources in the police department, I tried to get in touch with members of the SSP to hear their version, but there I confronted a problem. The SSP are vary of media persons in general and don’t trust journalists, especially when they come to know that some of us don’t subscribe to their fiqh [sect],’ says Mirani.

‘It was for this reason that I wasn’t able to visit the crime scene. Only a handful of journalists, all of whom were known to the SSP, were allowed to see the damaged vehicle and attend the funeral ceremony,’ the correspondent says.

‘The situation was extremely tense in the immediate aftermath of the killing. One couldn’t just venture out and take stock of things without coming in harm’s way. Luckily, however, at the end of the day I found a link within the SSP, who was also related to the slain leader, and thus managed to get the other side of the story.’

Elaborating on his reporting experience, Mirani says: ‘There’s a lot of risk involved when one reports such incidents. One misplaced word or slight slip-up in facts could mean the end of your precious life.’ By way of example, Mirani recalls that ‘a local Sindhi-language TV reporter had also covered the incident for his network, but he soon came under severe criticism from the SSP leadership for not using the word shaheed [martyr] in his news report. Later, charged SSP activists allegedly abused him verbally and some came close to giving him death threats.’

‘You can’t imagine the kind of pressures we have to deal with,’ adds Mirani.

Regarding the influence of SSP in Khairpur, Mirani says that they are restricted to some parts of the city, including a few mosques. ‘It would be incorrect to say that they hold sway over vast areas,’ he clarifies. Mirani describes how the SSP gradually gained a foothold in the area. According to him, the SSP were initially supported by the Jamiat Ulmae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in their efforts to gain a stronghold in the area. In many of their rallies, workers of the JUI-F would join forces with SSP members and it was widely known that both groups were cooperating with each other. However, in the last few years, the JUI-F leadership has asked its members not to participate in events organized by the SSP, but even then some JUI members can be seen in their processions.

Recalling an earlier meeting with the slain leader, Mirani says that he had met Hyderi five years ago at a press conference. ‘I remember him telling the media that his mission was to spread religious education; he promised that he would also provide computer literacy to students at his seminaries.’

Since Hyderi’s death, the investigation into his murder has made some headway. One of the attackers had been killed by Hyderi’s guards and has been identified. An FIR has also been lodged against the family members of the slain attacker. However, the SSP is still agitated and is pressurising the administration to solve the case within a week’s notice.

‘The situation continues to be precarious and can flare up again. People here are scared and say the uncertainty could lead to more violence. The onus is now on the government to settle the matter peacefully and as soon as possible,’ adds Mirani.

{Source: DAWN}