Pakistanis react with anger over scribe's death

Pakistanis on Wednesday reacted with revulsion and anger to the "silencing" of investigative journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, whose body was found days after he went missing in the wake of authoring a report that alleged al-Qaeda had infiltrated the Pakistan Navy.

Adil Najam, who blogs at pakistaniat.com, called Shahzad's death "a warning to the nation". Comments on social networking and micro-blogging websites focussed on allegations that Shahzad was abducted by the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Mohammed Hanif, the author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes, reflected the public feelings in a message on Twitter, "Any journalist here who doesn't believe that it's our intelligence agencies?"

 Najam wrote on his blog, "Pakistanis have gotten used to feeling unsafe and afraid. Today they are feeling even more unsafe and afraid...Afraid and unsafe is exactly how the butchers who tortured and then murdered Syed Saleem Shahzad want us to feel."

He added, "The message to Pakistanis -- and not just journalists, but all who may dare to 'speak up'  -- was equally cold and bloody and brutal."

Shahzad, who was the Pakistan bureau chief of Asia Times Online, went missing on Sunday evening while driving from his home to a TV station in the heart of Islamabad.

His car and body were subsequently found in Punjab province. The body had signs of severe torture.

He went missing just two days after reporting that al-Qaeda attacked a naval airbase in Karachi on May 22 after failed talks with the military to free some naval personnel arrested for links to the terrorist group.

The Daily Times newspaper, in an editorial titled Saleem Shahzad: The price of truth, said the journalist's "brutal murder seems like a warning to Pakistan's journalist community that if they continue to report honestly, they can be killed".

Pakistani bloggers and Twitter users mourned the murder and the hopelessness of the situation.  Sana Saeed, a Twitter user, wrote, "Devastating about the death of Saleem Shahzad. Those responsible must be held accountable. Oh wait, we're talking about Pakistan. Never mind."

 Many blamed the "agencies" – the ubiquitous term used to refer to the powerful ISI and other intelligence organisations controlled by the military – for "silencing" Shahzad.

Samad Khurram, a young Pakistani known for his outspoken views on human rights issues, tweeted: "And if you still don't think the agencies killed Saleem Shahzad, you shouldn't think at all."

Shahzad was himself active on Twitter, posting messages about the terrorist attack on the naval airbase in Karachi on May 22 and promoting his new book Inside Al Qaida and the Taliban: Beyond bin Laden and 9/11, which was released on May 20.

The book has a chapter on "Who masterminded the Mumbai attack". In response to Najam's post about Shahzad's killing, a reader asked him to be careful.

"A sad sad day. And another powerful powerful post from Najam. But please be careful Najam, no one is safe these days. Your words are courageous, but courage is not well respected in our neighbourhoods these days," posted the reader.