Mumbai Press Club demands impartial inquiry into Pak journalist's brutal murder

Lahore, June 2 : The Mumbai Press Club (MPC) has condemned the brutal killing of Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad, and demanded an impartial inquiry into his murder to bring the culprits to justice.

The prominent Pakistani investigative reporter had gone missing in Islamabad on Sunday and his body, showing over a dozen marks of torture, was found on Tuesday.

Other journalists and human rights activists have said they believe that Shahzad’s killing was payback not from militants, but from Pakistan’s fearsome spy agencies, which had reportedly threatened him, according to a newspaper report.

According to Shahzad’s reporting, last week’s attack on a Karachi naval base was a response to the Pakistani Navy’s detection of al-Qaeda cells within its ranks, and it followed failed discussions between the navy and al-Qaeda about the release of naval officers arrested on suspicions of links to the terrorist group.

“This is a clear and violent attack on the rights of free speech, since Shahzad was found dead near his home city after writing about the links between the Pakistani military and al Qaeda,” the Daily times quoted a statement issued by the MPC, as saying.

The press club called upon all journalists to spare a thought for Shahzad, who died in the line of duty writing what he thought was the truth, despite knowing that he was putting his life in danger.

The MPC also called upon the media community to rally together to demand an impartial inquiry into Shahzad’s brutal killing, and to bring the perpetrators of the murder to justice.

--ANI