Journalist Saleem Shahzad Abducted and found dead.

[Meengla]

@T-Faz,
Yeah, likely scenario.
But what a loss to the world of journalism.
May be rest in peace.

 

[T-Faz]

@T-Faz,
Yeah, likely scenario.
But what a loss to the world of journalism.
May be rest in peace.

I hope that he has transfered his info to someone else or perhaps even to the relevant authorities.

He probably has very valuable information and that could be used to cut off the terrorists backbone, shoot the head and the body wont function anymore.

Seems like Pakistan is a very dangerous place to be now especially for journalists.

 

[AAtish]

I have confidence that a citizen's rights will be protected if he is brought in for questioning, yes.

I highly doubt that.. Saving citizens always comes before saving one's rights.. so if general public would be placed in risk.. they will quietly 'pick' the person up, interrogate him and then raid all places openly..

How would you know? And what happens to them?

History, and they are picked, never to be seen again (naaaahhh just joking )

 

[Varad]

RIP to him.

 

[no_koadsheding_plz]

anyone speaking the truth that involves the dirty activities of pakistan army / intelligence gets death

now here is some more from bbc
link is
BBC News - Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad found dead

M Ilyas Khan
BBC News, Islamabad

Saleem Shahzad's death has shocked journalists across Pakistan. But the horror is not so much caused by the death itself - it is the widely held belief that he was in the custody of the ISI intelligence agency when he was killed.

In the past, journalists trying to poke their noses into the geostrategic games of the Pakistani intelligence community have been picked up and given a dose of what they might expect if they cross the line. Some of them gradually faded away as avenues of reporting closed for them. Others learned their lesson, quit their bases, or reverted to "responsible" journalism, as it is known in Pakistan. Though none of them spoke publicly about their ordeals, other journalists were aware of what was going on.

Those working for comparatively little known or less influential media groups - like Shahzad did - have been more vulnerable. In a country where journalists have borne the brunt of political as well as religious extremism, the thought of state institutions also joining the persecution has always been an uncomfortable one. The feeling that these institutions might actually kill journalists in cold blood is more dreadful than killings by extremists.

 

[no_koadsheding_plz]

in the same article it also mentions that he was threatened by ISI
source
BBC News - Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad found dead

Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad found dead
A Pakistani journalist who was feared abducted after he went missing on Sunday has been found dead, his family has confirmed.

Police said Saleem 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 he had "credible information" that Shahzad was in the custody of Pakistani intelligence.

He recently wrote an article about al-Qaeda infiltration in Pakistan's navy.

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 in the attack.

On Monday, a former navy commando and his brother were detained for their alleged role in helping plan the raid, which embarrassed the military.
'Tragic'
Shahzad's family said he had disappeared after leaving his home in Islamabad on Sunday evening and heading to a television station to participate in a talkshow.

They immediately issued statements saying they feared for his safety.

The 40-year-old's body was found by local residents in a canal in the Sarai Alamgir area of Mandi Baha Uddin, some 150km (93 miles) south-east of the capital. His car was found about 10km (six miles) away.

The head of Margalla police station in Islamabad, Fayaz Tanoli, told the BBC that the local police force took photographs of the body and informed his officers on Monday that it might be Shahzad's.

The photographs were shown to Shahzad's brother-in-law, Hamza Amir, who identified the remains. Police said he had cuts to his face.

Relatives later travelled to Sarai Alamgir to confirm he was dead.

Mr Hasan of Human Rights Watch said Shahzad had recently complained about being threatened by the intelligence arm of the Pakistan military, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI).

"He visited our office and informed us that the ISI had threatened him. He told us that if anything happened to him, we should inform the media about the situation and threats," he told the AFP news agency.

"We can form an opinion after the investigation and a court verdict, but... in the past, the ISI has been involved in similar incidents."

Mr Hasan also said he had been told by some Pakistani government officials that they believed Shahzad was in ISI custody.

A senior Pakistani intelligence official told the Associated Press it was "absurd" to say that the ISI had anything to do with Shahzad's death.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists said: "We are losing our professional colleagues but the government never unearths who is behind the killing of journalists."

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed his heartfelt condolences to Shahzad's family and ordered an immediate inquiry into his kidnapping and murder.

Shahzad, who had a wife and three children, 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.

 

[Dil Pakistan]

This is not the job of ISI. Following two are strong possibilities:

1. Extremists who knew that Saleem can name them.

2. More importantly, the extremists links inside Navy, Army, ISI felt threatened and knew that Saleem has credible information to expose them.

As a result he was abducted under the umbrella of ISI so that ISI gets the blame. Actually. it would be the rogue elements who cannot afford tobe exposed.

To confirm what I have said, you simply have to look at the report from Saleem.

 

[no_koadsheding_plz]

جس خبر کا رد عمل نہ آئے تو اٹھا لیاجاتا ہے‘

ارمان صابر

بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، اسلام آباد





’جس خبر کا کوئی خاص ردعمل نہیں آتا تو اس کا مطلب ہے کہ اٹھا لیا جاتا ہے۔‘ یہ الفاظ سلیم شہزاد کے ہیں جو انہوں نے پراسرار طور پر غائب ہونے سے ایک روز پہلے اپنے ایک دوست کو کہے تھے۔

سید سلیم شہزاد سے میری پہلی ملاقات نوے کی دہائی کے آخر میں ہوئی تھی جب وہ ایک نجی خبر رساں ادارے، پی پی آئی، سے منسلک ہوگئے تھے۔

تاہم مرحوم نے اپنی پیشہ ورانہ زندگی کا باقاعدہ آغاز کراچی میں شام کے اخبار ’دی سٹار’ سے کیا تھا۔

کلِک ’پاکستان صحافیوں کے لیے خطرناک جگہ‘

ان سے ملاقات کے بعد محسوس ہوا کہ وہ شروع ہی سے خطرات سے کھیلنے کے لیے تیار رہتے تھے اور نمایاں صحافی بننا چاہتے تھے۔

اتوار کی شام پراسرار گمشدگی سے ایک روز پہلے سنیچر کی شام ہمارے ایک مشترکہ دوست سے ایف نائن پارک میں ملاقات کے دوران انہوں نے بتایا کہ کراچی میں مہران بیس پر حملے کے بارے میں ان کی ایک تحقیقاتی رپورٹ ستائیس مئی کو ہانگ کانگ کی ویب سائٹ ایشیا ٹائمز میں شائع ہوئی ہے۔

انھوں نے خدشہ ظاہر کیا کہ’اس خبر پر کوئی خاص ردعمل سامنے نہیں آیا اور مسکراتے ہوئے کہا کہ اس کا مطلب تو یہ ہوتا ہے کہ اٹھا لیا جاتا ہے۔ان کے بقول انہیں ایک شخص کا فون آیا تھا جس نے اپنے آپ کو کرنل ظاہر کیا تھا اور کہا تھا کہ سلیم صاحب کئی دنوں سے آپ کی کوئی شکایت نہیں آئی لیکن ملاقات تو ہونی چاہیے۔‘

سلیم شہزاد نے کہا کہ انہوں نے جس نمبر سے فون آیا تھا کئی بار کوشش کی لیکن وہ نمبر کام نہیں کر رہا تھا۔

سید سلیم شہزاد کے برادرِ نسبتی (سال&#1746 حمزہ امیر کے مطابق سلیم شہزاد کی ستائیس مئی کو ہانگ کانگ کی ویب سائٹ ایشیا ٹائمز میں ایک تحقیقی رپورٹ شائع ہوئی تھی جس میں انہوں نے نامعلوم ذرائع کے حوالے سے کہا ہے کہ پاکستان بحریہ اور القاعدہ میں مذاکرات کی ناکامی کی وجہ سے شدت پسندوں نے بحریہ کی تنصیبات کو نشانہ بنایا۔
سید سلیم شہزاد، ہانگ کانگ کی نیوز ویب سائٹ ایشیاء ٹائمز آن لائن کے پاکستان میں بیورو چیف تھے جبکہ وہ ایک اطالوی خبررساں ادارے کے لیے بھی اپنی پیشہ ورانہ ذمہ داریاں نبھا رہے تھے۔ اس کے علاوہ وہ بریڈ فورڈ میں قائم پاکستان سکیورٹی ریسرچ یونٹ کے رکن بھی تھے۔

سلیم شہزاد کی نامعلوم ذرائع کے حوالے سے شائع کردہ رپورٹ میں مزید کہا گیا کہ بحریہ کے دس کے قریب نچلےگریڈ کے ملازمین کو گرفتار کیا گیا اور انہیں رہا کرانے کے لیے القاعدہ نے نیول حکام کو دھمکیاں بھی دیں تھیں۔

ان کے مطابق مبینہ طور پر جب متعلقہ اہلکاروں کو رہا نہ کیا گیا تو شدت پسندوں نے پہلے کراچی میں نیوی کی بسوں اور بعد میں مہران بیس پر حملہ کر کے طیاروں کو تباہ کردیا۔

بائیس اور تئیس مئی کی درمیانی شب شدت پسندوں کے حملے میں پندرہ گھنٹے کے مقابلے کے بعد پاکستانی حکام نے چار دہشت گردوں کو ہلاک کر کے آپریشن ختم کرنے کا اعلان کیا تھا۔ آپریشن میں دس پاکستانی سکیورٹی اہلکار ہلاک اور پندرہ زخمی ہوئے۔

سید سلیم شہزاد، ہانگ کانگ کی نیوز ویب سائٹ ایشیاء ٹائمز آن لائن کے پاکستان میں بیورو چیف تھے جبکہ وہ ایک اطالوی خبررساں ادارے کے لیے بھی اپنی پیشہ ورانہ ذمہ داریاں نبھا رہے تھے۔ اس کے علاوہ وہ بریڈ فورڈ میں قائم پاکستان سکیورٹی ریسرچ یونٹ کے رکن بھی تھے۔

سلیم شہزاد کی پیشہ ورانہ زندگی میں ناخوشگوار واقعات کی کمی نہیں تھی۔ انہیں نومبر، سنہ دو ہزار چھ میں جنوبی افغانستان کے صوبے ہلمند میں اپنے ترجمان کے ساتھ اغواء کر لیا گیا تھا۔

حال ہی میں ان کی ایک کتاب شائع ہوئی ہے جس کا نام’Inside Al-Qaeda & Taliban, Beyond bin Laden and 9/11 ‘ہے۔

ان کی ایک اور کتاب ’Al-Qaeda, its ideology, strategy and tactics ‘عنقریب شائع ہونے والی تھی۔

سلیم شہزاد نے اپنے سوگواروں میں بیوہ، دو بیٹے اور ایک بیٹی چھوڑے ہیں۔

سلیم شہزاد ہمیشہ مسکراتے رہتے تھے اور خبروں کی تلاش میں رہتے۔ وہ کسی بھی محفل میں ہوں، اپنے مطلب کی خبر لے اڑتے اور اُس کی تحقیق میں لگ جاتے۔ خبر دینے والے کو بھی اس وقت پتہ چلتا جب وہ خبر اپنے پورے سیاق و سباق کے ساتھ شائع ہونے کے بعد زبانِ زد عام پر ہوتی۔ لیکن بعض لوگ ان پر غیرمحتاط رپورٹنگ کا الزام بھی عائد کرتے رہے ہیں۔

سلیم شہزاد سے میری آخری ملاقات کراچی میں روزنامہ ڈان کے دفتر کے مرکزی گیٹ پر ہوئی تھی۔ وہ حسبِ معمول مسکراتے ہوئے ملے اور کچھ دیر قومی واقعات پر تبادلۂ خیال کرتے رہے۔ وہ ایک مختصر ملاقات مجھے نہیں معلوم تھا کہ میری اُن سے آخری ملاقات ثابت ہوگی۔

 

[no_koadsheding_plz]

This is not the job of ISI. Following two are strong possibilities:

1. Extremists who knew that Saleem can name them.

2. More importantly, the extremists links inside Navy, Army, ISI felt threatened and knew that Saleem has credible information to expose them.

As a result he was abducted under the umbrella of ISI so that ISI gets the blame. Actually. it would be the rogue elements who cannot afford tobe exposed.

To confirm what I have said, you simply have to look at the report from Saleem.

you gave a clean chit to ISI ?
so in your expert opinion ISI is a farishta sift organization that protectas its people?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

@Jana


Sad that someone like you have now been reduced to arguing that it is somehow acceptable that an intelligence agency kidnap a man even if it is, as you suggest just a means to glean information. Normal countries would do this in a much more measured manner if at all.

I did not anywhere argue that it was 'acceptable for the ISI to kidnap SS', I merely made the observation that it would be better for his sake if were abducted by the ISI rather than the TTP/AQ, since the abductions and killings of Col. Imam and Khwaja Khalid have made pretty clear that even high profile Taliban sympathisers are not safe from the TTP themselves.

Quite frankly, the only explanation for the murders of Col Imam, K Khwaja and SS, despite their strong links to senior Taliban figures, is that the TTP is in fact supported by the CIA and/or Afghan Intel and/or India.

Only with external support could Hakimullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain have dared to challenge Mullah Omar and the Haqqanis in executing Col Imam and Khwaja. And only the Afghans/CIA/India would have any benefit from eliminating high profile public figures that could act as interlocutors with the Afghan taliban in negotiating a political settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan.

The parties that stand to gain from the elimination of such high profile figures with links to senior Taliban leadership are not the ISI/PA/PN, but the CIA, Afghans and Indians.

 

[Dil Pakistan]

you gave a clean chit to ISI ?
so in your expert opinion ISI is a farishta sift organization that protectas its people?

Look at my post again and think. You will realise that I have not given clean chit to ISI. There is no doubt that there are rogue elements in all three forces who have connections with extremists. The proof is that OBL was living right under the nose of army and they did not know.

What Saleem had written (and was about to write) would have exposed the extremists and how they are working. It would also have exposed the people with "inside job" in PNS Mehran incident. Therefore, when we blame, we should blame these elements and not ISI. I hope you understand now.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

you gave a clean chit to ISI ?
so in your expert opinion ISI is a farishta sift organization that protectas its people?

The ISI is not a 'farishta organization', but it had no motive to kill SS, especially after he published an article that was critical of the military.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

In America people are detained for questioning via legal processes, that doesn't happen in Pakistan, where the actions of the "agencies" are not subject to the law. They aren't even subject to independent oversight! (I wonder how many Pakistanis pretend to be ISI, just to scare and control others.)

Since when did extraordinary rendition become a detention and interrogation process that was 'legal' and had any kind of US judicial 'oversight'?

The US government has in fact been so shameless as to not even apologize or compensate to individuals who turned out to be innocent, but were detained and tortured for months in secret centers abroad.


US hands are just as dirty, if not more, as anyone elses.

 

[Dil Pakistan]

The ISI is not a 'farishta organization', but it had no motive to kill SS, especially after he published an article that was critical of the military.

I fully agree.

All intelligence agencies in the world have a very nimble and cowardly approach towards their work.

1. They never do anything that directly connects them with the incident.

2. Also, when they do something as big as this (a murder) they have to have a significant gain.

These two points are diametrically opposed to ISI's approach as an intelligence agency in this particular case.

ISI does a great job for its country and it is only in the interest of enemies of Pakistan to blame ISI and demoralise it. Be careful with this agenda.

 

[Juice]

What are the chances that this is a ploy by CIA to further discredit ISI.. They may have used their agents (TTP) for the same...

Any thoughts on this line of reasoning??

Seriously? Chumming for trolls are we?