In an interview with NDTV, the spokesperson of Taliban's political office in Qatar's Doha, Muhammad Sohail Shaheen, said that the late photojournalist Danish Siddiqui didn't coordinate with the military group.
The Pulitzer prize-winning photographer was reportedly killed by members of the Taliban in the midst of an assignment covering the clash between Afghan forces and Taliban.
As per the report, Shaheen stated:
"You can't say he was killed by our fighters. Ask why he didn't coordinate with us. We have announced to journalists not once but many times that when they come to our places, please coordinate with us and we will provide you security."Muhammad Sohail Shaheen, as per NDTV
He added that Siddiqui was embedded within Kabul's security forces. "There was no difference – whether they are security personnel or militia or soldiers of Kabul or a journalist among them. He was killed in cross-firing, so it is not known whose firing killed him."
'Siddiqui Was Captured, Killed, Mutilated'
As per an earlier report published by American magazine Washington Examiner, Siddiqui was not simply killed in a crossfire, but was captured and brutally murdered by the Taliban.
“Siddiqui was alive when the Taliban captured him. The Taliban verified Siddiqui’s identity and then executed him, as well as those with him. The commander and the remainder of his team died as they tried to rescue him,” the report by Michael Rubin had stated.
A following report by The New York Times, which quoted officials, said that the photojournalist's body was also mutilated in Taliban custody.
What the Taliban Claims
However, in the NDTV report, Shaheen denied this sequence of events, saying that it is possible that the security forces want to malign them. He said, "We have rejected the mutilation allegation two-three times..It is against the rules of Islam to mutilate dead bodies."
The spokesperson added that journalists can come to Taliban-controlled territories, open branches and report the reality on ground.
Speaking about Taliban's relationship with India, Shaheen expressed, "If India provides guns, arms and ammunition to the people of Afghanistan to create unrest against us, then that will certainly be seen as an act of enmity," NDTV reported.
The spokesperson also added that India's claim that Taliban is backed by Pakistan is because of the nation's personal enmity with its neighbour.
Ahead of the complete withdrawal of US troops by 31 August, most of Afghanistan is actively involved in armed conflict, and many provincial capitals have already been taken over by the Taliban.
Shaheen further said that Taliban has taken control of "90 percent" of Afghanistan, NDTV reported.
(With inputs from NDTV)
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