EXCLUSIVE - Thenews.pl talks to Mushtaq Yusufzai, the first journalist to learn of the horrific death of Piotr Stanczak, the Polish geologist beheaded by the Taliban in Pakistan.
"We have finished him," were the chilling words of the Taliban spokesman, early Saturday morning, to award winning journalist Mushtaq Yusufzai, who works for The News International, Pakistan's leading English language newspaper.
"But how did you kill him," asked Yusufzai, who, even though he has covered the violence in the lawless borderlands of the northwest for many years, was still shocked to hear the news. "Did you shoot or behead him?" "We beheaded him. It's over." said the voice on the other end of the telephone.
The Polish geologist was kidnapped in the Pind Sultani area of Jund in the Attock district of the Punjab on September 28 last year. Hopes were dashed of his safe release after a Taliban deadline, extended to February 6, passed without their conditions being met. Just hours later, Mushtaq Yusufzai got the call from the Taliban.
Mushtaq Yusufzai is based in Peshawar, not far from where Piotr Stanczak was abducted. Yusufzai tells thenews.pl about the ruthlessness of the Taliban and the surprise in Pakistan that they went through with the execution style killing.
Thenews.pl: You know the Taliban in that region well and have extensive contacts with them. How closely were you following the story of the Pole's kidnap?
Mushtaq Yusufzai*: I was actually in touch with the people who kidnapped and killed Peter [how Piotr Stanczak is known in the Pakistani media] and there were some people in Islamabad who wanted us to negotiate between the militants and the authorities.
I believe they were ready to pay the ransom [that was demanded] but the Taliban actually refused [and instead] demanded the release of prisoners.
When they finally killed him they called you?
Yes. Taliban have many contacts with local media. After they told me of Peter's death I passed it on to broadcast and print media in this country and beyond. It was a very big story, even here in Pakistan.
And how did they distribute the video of the final moments of Piotr Stanczak and his subsequent beheading?
They pass it on to locals, who pass it on to media. And supporters put it up on Jihadist web sites and forums.
Polish media has speculated that they were close to releasing Piotr Stanczak at one point. How close, do you think, were they to freeing him?
I think the Taliban relaxed their demands and called for the release of only four people [initially they demanded many more and made political demands such as the introduction of Islamic law in some areas] who are still in the custody of the government. After that they would release him, they said. But the Pakistani government didn't show any patience. And I think they should have.
Why are they kidnapping Polish engineers? What do you think they hope to get out of this?
They are not looking for Polish engineers, they are looking for important people from the West and government officials. And most of the time they demand the release of their people who are taken into custody by Pakistan forces during military operations. The main priority for the Taliban is to kidnap either government officials or important partners so they can put pressure on the government to accept their demands. Sometimes they kidnap foreigners and government officials simply for ransom.
You mentioned that this is the first time a foreign captive has been killed by the Taliban since American journalist Daniel Pearl was beheaded in 2002. Does this mean they are becoming more ruthless?
I was in touch with senior government officials and I told them that the Taliban had threatened to kill Peter if their demands were not accepted. Most of the officials were saying that they didn't believe that the Taliban would kill him because then they would not be able to force the government to accept their demands.
There are different groups within the Taliban. This group, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is an extreme group. Baitullah Mahsud is their leader. So the Taliban who kidnapped Peter are very hard and they are very harsh in their methods. They cannot be trusted. That's why most people feared them and were expecting that they would kill people.
Do you think the Pakistani government did enough to get Peter freed?
No.
Can the Pakistani government defeat these people?
On the same day when Peter was beheaded, military forces carried out an operation in which 17 people were killed. They hide in the mountains so it's difficult for the government to defeat them militarily.
There have been reports in the media over here speculating that GROM - Poland's equivalent to the SAS - could have gone to Pakistan and freed Peter. But would the government in Islamabad have allowed foreign forces into this region?
I don't think so. There have been demands by US forces to enter the Pakistani tribal areas where security forces have been fighting against Al-Qaeda and local Taliban supporters. On one occasion US troops did enter the region [in September 2008 when 20 locals died]. But on that occasion they only killed innocent people. So I think that the government has been refusing demands from the US and allies in Afghanistan to come into Pakistan.
Mushtaq Yusufzai was talking to Peter Gentle
Mushtaq Yusufzai
* Mushtaq Yusufzai - aged 33, is a journalist for The News, Pakistan's leading English-language paper. He is known for working at the frontline in the 'war on terror' and has worked as a fixer and reporter for US networks ABC and NBC in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2005 he was ambushed and injured by anti-government Taliban militants and was arrested by Pakistani security forces for taking compromising photographs. Yusufzai is ethnic Pashtun, like those from the tribal regions of Pakistan where much of the region's conflict is going on today. In May 2008, he won the Kate Webb award, set up by the Agence France-Presse.