Wednesday, June 1, 2011

News agency chief pays tribute to murdered Pakistani journalist

Aki English

Italy: News agency chief pays tribute to murdered Pakistani journalist

last update: May 31, 17:29

Rome, 31 May (AKI) - The director of Adnkronos news agency and president of the Adnkronos Group Giuseppe Marra on Tuesday paid a hearfelt tribute to the Pakistani journalist who was on Sunday abducted and murdered in eastern Pakistan, Saleem Syed Shahzad.


"Today, 150 kilometres from Islamabad, our exceptional colleague and very dear friend Syed Saleem Shahzad concluded his marvellous and epic mission," said Marra.

Shahzad was Adnkronos International's (AKI) Pakistan correspondent since 2004. AKI is part of Adnkronos Group.

"Our friendship and working relationship had long involved almost daily contact," Marra stated.

Marra said he has sent his heartfelt condolences to the family of Shahzad, who leaves behind a wife and three young children.

"We will never forget his phone calls from the most remote corners of the world and his illuminating analyses on social and cutural realities so different from our own," Marra stated.

"Adnkronos has launched projects to develop an expanding network of timely news exchanges between that troubled part of the world and Italy, indeed Europe, with the aim of bringing peoples and cultures from different regions of the world closer together.

"Now, I hope others will take forward and realise the projects we planned together . No one will ever be able to kill our memories of an outstandingly intrepid and brave colleague.

"In the same way, no assassin will ever be able suppress the feelings of affection and friendship that bind all of us at AKI and the whole Adnkronos group to a man who viewed journalism as a supreme cultural mission of peace.

"Farewell most dear Saleem," Marra concluded.


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