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Muhammad Fahim Dashti
Afghan journalist and resistance leader (1973–2021) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Muhammad Fahim Dashti[a] (c. 1973 – 4 or 5 September 2021) was an Afghan journalist and resistance leader. In 2021, he served as spokesman of the National Resistance Front during the Republican insurgency in Afghanistan.
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Biography
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Muhammad Fahim Dashti was born in c. 1973 in the Kingdom of Afghanistan to a Tajik family.[1] He was a nephew of Afghan politician Abdullah Abdullah and a close associate of the mujahideen commander and Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud.[2] Dashti was with Massoud when the latter was assassinated by a suicide bombing on 9 September 2001.[3][4] Dashti was badly wounded in the bombing.[1]
After the United States invasion of Afghanistan, Dashti founded a newspaper based at Kabul and became known for supporting journalists[3] and advocating freedom of speech in Afghanistan.[2] He was a leader of the Afghanistan National Journalist Union (ANJU) as well as a key figure in the Federation for "Afghan Journalists and Media Entities", founded in 2012. In addition, he contributed to the South Asia Press Freedom Report.[1]
In 2021, following the takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban, Dashti joined the National Resistance Front (NRF) as a spokesman.[3][5] Beforehand, he had reportedly refused offers of a government post by the Taliban.[1] Dashti was one of the main sources of information in the Panjshir Valley as the Taliban pressed in, issuing statements on Twitter.[6] Shortly before his death, he stated "If we die, history will write about us, as people who stood for their country till the end of the line".[1] On 4[2] or 5 September 2021, Dashti was killed in combat during the Taliban offensive into Panjshir. His death was confirmed by his friend Noor Rahman Akhlaqi on Facebook as well as other sources. The Taliban claimed that he had died as they had advanced into Bazarak, capital of the Panjshir Province.[4][5] In contrast, the International Federation of Journalists stated that he had died alongside General Abdul Wodo Zara at Dashtak, Anaba District.[1] According to unspecified sources and defense analyst Babak Taghvaee, Dashti was killed by a Pakistani drone strike during the fighting.[7] NRF officials seconded these claims, specifying that Dashti had been killed by a Pakistani drone strike at Anaba. Pakistan and the Taliban denied this, with the latter eventually claiming that Dashy had been shot during a clash between NRF commanders.[8] Reportedly BBC Persian, in an interview with Dashti, leaked a number leading to his location.[9]
After his death, former colleagues, associates, and organizations like the ANJU, Afghanistan Independent Journalists' Association (AIJA), and the International Federation of Journalists released eulogies in his honor.[1]
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