Pakistani Taliban has issued a media hit-list with nearly two dozen journalists and publishers on target and declared a fatwa against them for the very first time since its inception.
The initial hit-list prepared by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has named a number of media-group owners, the news heads of various television channels, prominent anchors, the editor of a leading English-language newspaper and even some field staff, Dawn News reports.
The TTP has accused the media of supporting the disbelievers against Muslims in the "war on Islam", inciting people against "the mujahideen" through propaganda, and propagating promiscuity and secularism.
The fatwa defined three major categories for journalists. "Murjif" for those who engage in propaganda against Muslims, "muqatil" for the ones who incites disbelievers against Muslims, and "Sa'ee bil fasad" for those who promote secular ideologies, the report added.
Former TTP chief spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said they have been asking the media to be impartial from a very long time, and stop attributing attacks to the TTP, which they did not carry.