This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-south-asia-13612101

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Pakistan's ISI denies involvement in reporter's murder Pakistan's ISI denies involvement in reporter's murder
(about 21 hours later)
The Pakistani intelligence service has made a rare public statement to deny any involvement in the murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad.The Pakistani intelligence service has made a rare public statement to deny any involvement in the murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad.
His body was found on Tuesday, two days after he went missing. The 40-year-old vanished at the weekend after leaving home in Islamabad. His body was found on Tuesday.
Mr Shazad's funeral took place on Wednesday in the city of Karachi. The intelligence service said that any suggestion that it had a role in his murder was "baseless... and unfounded".
The 40-year-old father of three vanished after leaving home in Islamabad to appear on a television talk show. But a senior newspaper executive insisted that Mr Shahzad received death threats on at least three occasions.
He had recently written an article about al-Qaeda infiltration into Pakistan's navy. Hameed Haroon, the chief executive of the Dawn Group of Newspapers said in a statement released on Thursday that the dead journalist told him that he had received "death threats from various officers of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on at least three occasions in the past five years".
Mr Shahzad made a career writing about the various Islamist militant networks operating in Pakistan and is reported to have warned human rights campaigners before his disappearance that he had been threatened by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) - prompting speculation the spy agency may have been involved in his death. Mr Shahzad made a career writing about various Islamist militant networks operating in Pakistan and had recently written an article about href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/ME27Df06.html" >article about al-Qaeda infiltration in Pakistan's navy.
Syed Saleem Shahzad's funeral was held near his home in Karachi's Defence neighbourhood, and was attended by hundreds of people - including representatives of Pakistan's media unions and senior journalists. Editing one of Pakistan's leading news analysis magazines in 2001, I ran a controversial story on the ISI-Taliban nexus. It clearly upset someone at the ISI.
Mr Shahzad's body was brought directly to the mosque from the airport by Islamabad police. It was kept in a casket, which remained closed; Islamic rituals stipulate that the body should be in an open box with the face uncovered unless there are extreme reasons not to do so. Days later, I got a call from someone who introduced himself as Colonel Tariq. "I know quite a bit about you. You drive a Honda City, don't you?" he said. He knew details of my wife and family and continued: "I find myself wondering why people like you think they can be journalists and have a family at the same time."
The body fulfilled those extreme criteria: It was in a bad condition having being temporarily buried prior to its discovery, and the post mortem said it bore clear signs of torture. After various phone calls from my publishers, in the end I was just called into the ISI for a chat - where I realised the scale of the monitoring.
Mr Shahzad's brother and young son were the first to put clay on the grave - a symbolic gesture symbolising a final parting with the departed. Other family members stood by, weeping openly. Saleem Shahzad's murder seems to be a part of a systematic campaign to eliminate problematic voices. It appears that elements within Pakistan are waging a vicious and brutal war against free speech. On Wednesday a senior Baloch nationalist teacher and poet was killed - and his family is alleging that this too was the handiwork of the ISI.
It is not without reason that his and Saleem Shahzad's death have been blamed on the ISI. The entire journalist community in Pakistan knows how closely the agency monitors media and journalists.
Every reporter in the country knows that if they get a telephone call from anyone who calls themselves "Colonel Tariq" it is bad news. It usually means they have fallen foul of the ISI.
They know that Saleem Shahzad was not the first one to meet such a brutal fate. More worryingly, they also know that unless his killers are brought to justice, he will not be the last one either.
But in what correspondents say is an unusual move, an ISI official said on Wednesday that the incident "should not be used to target and malign the country's security agency".But in what correspondents say is an unusual move, an ISI official said on Wednesday that the incident "should not be used to target and malign the country's security agency".
"Baseless accusations against the country's sensitive agencies for their alleged involvement in Shahzad's murder are totally unfounded. In the absence of any evidence and when an investigation is still pending, such allegations are tantamount to unprofessional conduct on the part of the media," the official told the Associated Press of Pakistan."Baseless accusations against the country's sensitive agencies for their alleged involvement in Shahzad's murder are totally unfounded. In the absence of any evidence and when an investigation is still pending, such allegations are tantamount to unprofessional conduct on the part of the media," the official told the Associated Press of Pakistan.
"The ISI offers its deepest and heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family, and assures them that it will leave no stone unturned in helping to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.""The ISI offers its deepest and heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family, and assures them that it will leave no stone unturned in helping to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice."
In a warning to the Pakistani media, the official said that it "should refrain from [making] baseless allegations against the ISI that seek to deliberately malign the organisation in the eyes of the people of Pakistan".In a warning to the Pakistani media, the official said that it "should refrain from [making] baseless allegations against the ISI that seek to deliberately malign the organisation in the eyes of the people of Pakistan".
Journalists have held protests across Pakistan to condemn the killing, with sit-ins and marches held in Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. But Mr Haroon said that Mr Shahzad's purpose "was not to defame the ISI but to avert a possible fulfilment of what he clearly perceived to be a death threat".
"The last threat which I refer to was recorded by Mr Shahzad by e-mail with me, tersely phrased as 'for the record' at precisely 4.11 am on 18 October 2010, wherein he recounted details of his meetings at the ISI headquarters".
Pakistan has ordered an immediate inquiry into his kidnapping and murder.Pakistan has ordered an immediate inquiry into his kidnapping and murder.
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan - who attended the funeral - said there has been no comment from the government over the circumstances of Mr Shahzad's murder, except for a statement from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani immediately after the body was discovered on Tuesday. The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan - who attended Mr Shahzad's funeral on Wednesday in Karachi - said there has been no comment from the government over the circumstances of Mr Shahzad's murder, except for a statement from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani immediately after the body was discovered on Tuesday.
Mr Gilani said that the culprits would be brought to justice "at every cost".Mr Gilani said that the culprits would be brought to justice "at every cost".
Our correspondent says that no government representatives attended the funeral, although some opposition politicians and officials who knew the dead man in a personal capacity were in attendance.
Mr Shahzad's body was found about 150km (90 miles) south-east of Islamabad. Police said it bore marks of torture.Mr Shahzad's body was found about 150km (90 miles) south-east of Islamabad. Police said it bore marks of torture.
"The cause of death is torture and there are several signs of torture on his body and face," Ashok Kumar, one of the doctors who carried out a post-mortem, told the AFP news agency. A post mortem report said that there were "15 torture marks" on his body, and no bullet wounds.
The post mortem report said that there were "15 torture marks" on his body, and no bullet wounds.
It said the death was probably caused by a fatal blow to the body in the chest region.It said the death was probably caused by a fatal blow to the body in the chest region.
Wasim Fawad, a brother of Mr Shahzad, told the BBC after the funeral that the family were in shock.
"I can say this about my brother - he was committed 100% to his profession," he said.
"Nobody can say about my brother - unlike others - that he backed down in front of threats or bribes."
Deadly assault
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Washington "strongly condemned the abduction and killing" of Mr Shahzad.US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Washington "strongly condemned the abduction and killing" of Mr Shahzad.
"His work reporting on terrorism and intelligence issues in Pakistan brought to light the troubles extremism poses to Pakistan's stability," she said in a statement."His work reporting on terrorism and intelligence issues in Pakistan brought to light the troubles extremism poses to Pakistan's stability," she said in a statement.
She also welcomed the investigation into the killing.
Mr Shahzad's article about al-Qaeda infiltration in Pakistan's navy was recently published.
He reported that the militant group had launched the deadly assault on the Mehran base in Karachi, the headquarters of the navy's air wing, on 22 May because talks had failed over the release of several naval personnel arrested on suspicion of links to al-Qaeda affiliates.
At least 14 people were killed and two navy warplanes destroyed.
On Monday, a former navy commando and his brother were detained for their alleged role in helping plan the raid, which embarrassed the military.
Mr Shahzad's body was found in a canal in Mandi Baha Uddin in Pakistan's northern Gujarat district.
Earlier, Human Rights Watch researcher Ali Dayan Hasan said Mr Shahzad had recently complained about being threatened by the ISI.
The ISI official said there was no evidence in his correspondence to Mr Hasan which suggested he was subjected to "veiled or unveiled threats" from the ISI.
Mr Shahzad worked for the Italian news agency Adnkronos International (AKI) and was Pakistan bureau chief for Asia Times Online.Mr Shahzad worked for the Italian news agency Adnkronos International (AKI) and was Pakistan bureau chief for Asia Times Online.
Human rights groups recently called Pakistan the most dangerous place in the world for journalists to operate, saying they were under threat from Islamist militants but also Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies.Human rights groups recently called Pakistan the most dangerous place in the world for journalists to operate, saying they were under threat from Islamist militants but also Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies.