Pakistan ‘sanctioned’ killing of journalist, says US commander

Islamabad hits back at claim by Admiral Mike Mullen over murder of Syed Saleem Shahzad Pakistan “sanctioned” the killing of a journalist who wrote about the country’s powerful security establishment, the top military commander in the US Admiral Mike Mullen, has said. The death of the journalist, Syed Saleem Shahzad, prompted intense speculation about the possible involvement of the Pakistan military’s powerful spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), but Mullen said on Thursday he could not confirm its involvement. The remarks by Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, are likely to place new strains on Pakistan-US ties, which were seriously damaged by the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in Pakistan in May. The Pakistan government hit back at Mullen’s claims. “If it is true, then the statement is extremely irresponsible,” a Pakistani government spokesman said. “It will not help in investigating the issue.” Shahzad, 40, who worked for the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online, disappeared from Islamabad on 29 May. His body was found in a canal two days later, bearing what police said were signs of torture. Before his death Shahzad told friends he’d been threatened by the ISI, which is notorious for harassing reporters in a country considered one of the deadliest in the world for journalists. The ISI has denied it had anything to do with killing Shahzad, but suspicions have persisted and prompted unusual levels of public criticism of the spy agency. Mullen said that the reported abuse of journalists in Pakistan was not a good road for the government in Islamabad. “It’s a way to continue to, quite frankly, spiral in the wrong direction,” said Mullen, who has devoted time in the past four years to trying to improve relations with Pakistani leaders. Pakistan Journalist safety US military United States guardian.co.uk

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