Taliban leader Fazlullah, responsible for shooting Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, has reportedly been killed by a USA drone strike on Wednesday. The former Taliban chief was popularly known as ‘Radio Mulla’ or ‘Maulana Radio’ for his widely acclaimed unauthorised radio broadcasts in Swat valley in Pakistan, where he was born.
A US military official confirmed the death of Fazlullah to Voice of America (VOA), a US government-funded media outlet, earlier today, reports The Times of India. However, Fazlullah originally named, Fazal Hayat, has been reported dead many times before, which has made certain people sceptic about his death.
Fazlullah originally named, Fazal Hayat, has been reported dead many times before, which has made certain people sceptic about his death. (Credit: AP Photo via AP Video, File)
‘Fazlullah has been dead so many times’
Fazlullah has been reportedly killed at least four times since 2010. Michael Kugelman, senior associate at Washington DC think tank The Wilson Centre tweeted: “Fazlullah has been dead and then not dead so many times before. Healthy skepticism is in order.”
Fazlullah has been dead and then not dead so many times before. Healthy skepticism is in order. https://t.co/IdhZ301f4k
— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) June 14, 2018
Who is Fazlullah?
Fazlullah was Pakistan’s most-wanted militant, notorious for attacks including a 2014 school massacre that killed 132 children and the 2012 shooting of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
He had initially started off by calling himself a reformer, asking people to adopt good habits or balance out western culture. However, he later turned into an extremist, resorting to violence with the Taliban. He used his radio platform to promote his views on the evils of female education and benefits of Jihad.
According to the Washington Post, in 2014, thousands of people were tuning into his channel. He grew so popular as a radio broadcaster that women started donating jewellery such as bangles and earrings to his cause.
The former Taliban chief was popularly known as ‘Radio Mulla’ or ‘Maulana Radio’ for his widely acclaimed unauthorised radio broadcasts in Swat valley in Pakistan, where he was born. Source: The Indian Express
Attempted assassination of Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai
Fazlullah had claimed responsibility for attempting to assassinate Malala Yousoufasai in 2012 when she was just fifteen years old. The Taliban had targeted Malala because she was a vocal child rights activist, who fought for educating girls at a very young age. She also wrote anonymous blogs, describing the horrors of a life under the control of the militant group, which drew the Taliban’s attention towards her.
The former chief had allegedly dispatched a gunman to shoot Malala while she was in her school van. The 15-year-old survived the attack and went on to become the youngest Nobel Prize winner at the age of 17.
Malala’s biography, ‘I am Malala’, mentions Fazlullah’s use of Taliban violence to perpetrate violence against women. Credit: Reuters
Malala’s biography ‘I am Malala’, published in 2013, mentions Fazlullah’s use of Taliban violence to force women to wear a burqa and stay out of school, including the murder of women who disobeyed his interpretation of Sharia, the Islamic law.
Fazlullah was also held responsible for the attack on Army public school in Peshawar, killing 151 people, including more than 130 children, according to TOI.
(With inputs from agencies)
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