Gunmen in northwest Pakistan shot and killed a reporter working for the Voice of America on Tuesday near his home in Shabqadar, roughly 35 kilometers from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Aatif was hospitalized in critical condition, before succumbing to his injuries.
Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told reporters the militant group was responsible for the killing.
Friends of Aatif, who was in his 40's, tell VOA that the journalist had received threats from militants in the past. He and his family had been forced to move to Shabqadar from their home in Mohmand agency due to the threats.
Aatif also worked for the private Pakistani Dunya TV.
Media right activists in Pakistan are condemning Aatif's killing and criticizing the government for not doing enough to protect journalists.
Reporters Without Borders named Pakistan as the deadliest country for journalists for two years in a row, with 10 killed in the country in 2011.
Article by VOA News