No justice one year on

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 29 May 2012 | JP Staff Reporter

Amnesty International says Pakistan must urgently bring the killers of journalist Saleem Shahzad to justice a year after his abduction and murder. The group also calls for proper investigation of intimidation allegations against journalists.
Summary

ISLAMABAD: A year on from the abduction and assassination of reporter Saleem Shahzad, Pakistan must take urgent steps to bring his killers to justice and properly investigate claims of intimidation against journalists, Amnesty International says.

“Shahzad’s killing last year highlighted the perils faced by journalists in Pakistan,” said Polly Truscott, South Asia director at Amnesty International.

“Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries for media workers with at least three journalists killed in the past five months. Last year at least nine lost their lives.”

Just two days before his abduction in Islamabad on May 29, 2011, Shahzad published an article about an attack at a Pakistan Naval base.

He alleged Navy personnel sympathetic to al-Qaeda had facilitated the attack. On May 31, his body was found several kilometers outside Islamabad showing signs of torture.

In October 2010, Shahzad had told colleagues that in a meeting with the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency’s (ISI) media wing, he felt he had been threatened, because of his reporting on al-Qaeda infiltration into Pakistan’s armed forces.

KEY POINTS:

Amnesty International marked one year since reporter Saleem Shahzad was abducted and killed in 2011.
Shahzad was abducted in Islamabad on May 29 and his body was found on May 31 showing signs of torture.
He had reported on a Pakistan Naval base attack and alleged al-Qaeda sympathizers within the Navy helped facilitate it.
Shahzad had previously said he felt threatened after a meeting with the ISI media wing over his reporting.
Amnesty said Pakistan remains highly dangerous for journalists, citing multiple recent killings.