Pakistan's intelligence agencies 'should have parliamentary scrutiny'

[Yeti]

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An investigation into the murder of a Pakistani journalist has recommended that the country's clandestine intelligence agencies be brought under Parliamentary scrutiny, ending their shadowy role as enforcers and silencers.


However, the judicial commission failed to identify the culprits responsible for killing Saleem Shahzad, angering human rights campaigners who have blamed the Inter-Service Intelligence agency for his death.


Mr Shahzad, a 40-year-old investigative reporter, went missing on May 21 last year, days after claiming al-Qaeda had infiltrated Pakistan's navy.


His body was found two days later in a canal about 100 miles from his home in Islamabad. It showed signs of a severe beating.


In the run-up to his death, he had told Human Rights Watch he had been threatened by the ISI.


In its report, the commission recommended the intelligence agencies be made more "law-abiding" and brought under parliamentary control – a radical proposal in Pakistan where they operate as a secret state within a state.


also called for Shahzad's widow to be awarded £22,000 compensation, given a teaching job in a government institution and for her three children to be educated for free.

But the report admitted it could find no evidence about who was behind the killing.

"As an investigative reporter, Saleem's writings probably did, and certainly could have, drawn the ire of all the various belligerents in the War on Terror – the Pakistani state, the non-state actors such as the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and foreign actors," it said. "Any of these could have had the motive to commit the crime."

It also seemed to shift blame to Shahzad himself, by recommending stricter regulation of Pakistan's journalists.

Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said no attempt was made to question ISI officials about what its Islamabad office was doing for the three days while Shahzad was missing.

"The report falls well short of expectations. The investigation should have been to find who in the ISI was responsible as there were very serious allegations made against it," he said.

"This report ducks the question." The ISI has always denied any role in the murder as "baseless".

Shahzad was well-known for his contacts in Pakistan's terrorist and militant havens, frequently embarrassing the government with his scoops.

He interviewed Illyas Kashmiri, a senior al-Qaeda figure, shortly before he was killed in a drone strike last year.

Repercussions of his death even disrupted relations between the US and Pakistan. Last July, America's then most senior military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, said Pakistan authorities had sanctioned Mr Shahzad's killing.

Pakistan was the deadliest country for the media in 2011, according to Reporters Without Borders, with at least eight journalists killed in connection with their work.


Pakistan's intelligence agencies 'should have parliamentary scrutiny' - Telegraph

[Abu Zolfiqar]

the ISI is just fine as is and it will remain so.....

the independent inquiry (civilian run) and commission set up to investigate Shezad's murder is still inconclusive; no evidence points towards the intelligence agencies in his murder

always expect some people to post garbage articles that add no value and bring no additional insights to the forum


if ISI wanted to whack him or whack others like him --there'd be a lot more dead journalists inside and outside of the country, rest assured. Journalism is a dangerous job, and they assume the risks every time they wear a Press jacket.


or will they blame the ISI next time a fire tender is killed while doing his job

[Yeti]

Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said no attempt was made to question ISI officials about what its Islamabad office was doing for the three days while Shahzad was missing.

---------- Post added at 04:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 PM ----------

A man who knew to much?

[Abu Zolfiqar]

it isnt the job of intelligence agencies to track down missing journalists....that's the job of the police


idiots....

[Yeti]

Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan

Shahzad, 40, had on several occasions been warned by officials of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) over articles they deemed to be detrimental to Pakistan's national interests or image.

---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:55 PM ----------

Human Rights Watch researcher Ali Dayan Hasan earlier said he suspected ISI officials abducted Shahzad, possibly because of a recent story he wrote on al-Qaeda infiltration in the Pakistani navy.

[Abu Zolfiqar]

and not only the Pentagon but also members of the CIA gave dire warnings to the founder of wikileaks......wtf is your point and what are you trying to get at?


''suspect'' and ''allegations'' are not PROOF. Unless they have solid proof that ISI would waste its time and resources over one journalist --- they (and people on this forum too) should STFU

[Yeti]

ISLAMABAD: A commission constituted by the government to investigate the circumstances leading to the killing of journalist Syed Salim Shahzad has blamed various ‘belligerents’ involved in the war on terror for his murder.

But it didn’t single out any person or organisation, who could have killed him, leaving the room open for further probe. In its set of recommendations, the most important was to rein in the Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau and make them accountable within their organisations and to the parliamentary committees concerned.



No culprits traced so far seems very murky

[boris]

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ISI would be better off without this parliamentry inquiry and all,seems like all the dishonest politicians of Pakistan are scared of the ISI.