Pakistan

Saleem Shahzad’s cell phone record erased

Record of 18 days leading up to journalist’s murder ‘disappears’ from system.

Asad Kharal June 07, 2011

LAHORE:

The record of slain journalist Saleem Shahzad’s cell phone activity has been mysteriously erased – with the network log of the 18 days leading up to his abduction and murder being wiped clean from the system.

According to data obtained by The Express Tribune, the “last” call made by Shahzad was back on May 12.

Saleem Shahzad worked for Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online and Italian news agency Andkronos International. The police are yet to register an abduction-cum-murder case against Shahzad’s killers.

The case is starting to look a lot like that of Umer Cheema, another journalist who was kidnapped and tortured recently and whose cell phone data was also deleted from the system in a similar manner.

Hamza Ameer, the brother-in-law of the slain journalist, found Saleem Shahzad’s mobile phone switched off when he tried to contact him at 5:42 pm on May 29.

According to data obtained by The Express Tribune, Shahzad made his “last” call on May 12 near a cell phone tower installed atop a bank in Islamabad’s Blue Area, Plot No94, Deen Pewalian in Islamabad.

Shahzad, according to cell data, was in Islamabad between May 1 and 8:27 pm on May 12.

The “second last” call received by Shahzad was made by his wife and it lasted slightly over a minute (the call was made between 12:16:05 and 12:17:19).

His wife’s “last” call received by Shahzad lasted just 13 seconds (made between 7:51:16 and 7:51:29).

Furthermore, Hamza Ameer said that police are yet to register a proper case of abduction and murder of Saleem Shahzad.

He said that he had filed a complaint after Saleem Shahzad had gone missing (The record shows the complaint No43 was filed at 2:20 am on Monday, May 30).

The complaint reads: “My brother in-law Syed Saleem Shahzad, the bureau chief of Asia Times Online, left today at 5:30 pm to appear in an interview on Dunya News (television), but since that time he has been missing. I request you to please probe the matter and search for him.”

Later, the Margalla police station had converted the same complaint into an FIR, without applying the section for abduction-cum-murder, Hamza Ameer said.

Another FIR was also registered in Mandi Bahauddin and Shahzad’s autopsy was also conducted in the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in the same town on May 30.

The IGP on the direction of the CM Punjab has issued a notification regarding constitution of three-member committee headed by DIG Shoaib Dastgeer with a mandate to probe the matter.

DIG Shoaib told The Express Tribune that the investigators would meet the heirs of the slain journalist. He said that statements of eyewitnesses, if there are any, will also be recorded.

He said that because the autopsy of dead body of slain journalist had been conducted in Islamabad so according to law the murder’s section of 302 Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) will be added by the Margala police station where the FIR was first registered. He claimed that the team would finalise its report quickly.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2011.

Correction, June 7, 2011

Due to an editing error, the original article incorrectly cited CPRC as the source for section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

COMMENTS (112)

Ameer Hamza | 13 years ago | Reply The mobile phone company employs, who deleted this data for them, should also be investigated. First call for our CJ should be to notify the Head Office of the network company whose number he was using. This can't get any worse. But like we have seen in the case of Cheema, nothing came out of all this. Journalists will be killed, if they speak the truth against the Deep State. Period.

camaro | 13 years ago | Reply The sign of good minds is that they think of all the possibilities. Why have we failed to consider that extra-terrestrials may have been involved in erasing the cell phone record of late Saleem Shahzad because their mastery of technology is as well known as their concern to tie up all loose ends of dastardly deeds on the most wretched parts of planet earth and that too with the utmost neatness.

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J Umer | 13 years ago | Reply Has any one considered that within two or three days of Saleem Shahzad's kidnapping Ilyas Kashmiri was targeted and his close associates nabbed from Faisalabad. Was it Black Water who kidnapped and tortured him unhumanly to extract information and where abouts of Ilyas Kashmiri as he was known to be in contact with him.

Megatrion | 13 years ago | Reply @Feroz: My message is very loud & clear....All those journalist who are working against our national interest will have the same fate....Now you will ask what is our national interest...To safeguard our institutions & working for their betterment..presenting their good picture to the world unlike our US/jews sponsored media do.....SS was working against our institutions and wanted to malign the image of our prestigious institutions...further malign image of our country...OBL saga was a drama staged by CIA to damage the credibility of our army/institutions and at the same time it was necessary for Obama to win next term as his publicity was going down.....PNS Mehran was also a US sponsored drama and the purpose was the same (to damage the credibility of army)....SS was working for their cause and was their agent ....that will be the fate of all such type of agents/media anchors..whether it be Kamran Khan,Najam Sethi etcetera..mostly media persons and journalist are working against our national interest...it is high time they come out of it or they will meet the same fate like SS....

SA | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistanis that have not stood up against the perpetrators of this deplorable act will only have themselves to blame. These are early warning signals of a society so in decline, it is almost on the verge of demise. Burying their heads collectively in sand and living in denial may be therapeutic for some time, but will only hasten the death of this country as the affliction remains untreated. Adios, Pakistan!

R S JOHAR | 13 years ago | Reply @Sahir Sheikh: Surely, the journalists must keep their eyes shut and under no circumstances report any wrong-doing done by these agencies even if it results in dis-integeration of the country. But if they do, that tantamounts to crossing of limits in the eyes of these agencies and a justification to brutally murder them.

Sahir Sheikh | 13 years ago | Reply The journalists should know their limits, respect ISI/MI/FBR/IB/FIA.

Salim | 13 years ago | Reply Every one seems to agree that ISI needs to be tamed. But who will/can do it. In my view its only Nawaz Sharif who can do it. He dared to take on two chiefs and still is the ONLY politician who courageously criticizes ISI and army. ISI is already using Imran Khan to weaken him. God bless mian sab.

ASQ | 13 years ago | Reply OMG even telecom giants are being run by CIA,Mossad and Raw!!!!!

S. Ali Raza | 13 years ago | Reply There is a possibility that the last 2 weeks data was removed because they didn't want any news source hampering with the investigations, by making his activities public?

SHAZIA | 13 years ago | Reply @Ravi Shastry: i was thinking exactly same thing if IFTIKHAR choudry can take notice of minor issue of 3 bottles of Atiqa oddo why can't he take notice of very serious issue of murder of an innocent journalist, why is he silent on Salim shahzad murder? why didnt he took notice when Raymond davis was released? why selective notices?

Tony SIngh | 13 years ago | Reply @Maria: What a cooked up RAW story!

sanjithmenon | 13 years ago | Reply Data erased can be retrieved, if Pakistan has any problem, pls call us here in bangalore.

omar abdullah | 13 years ago | Reply @ChotaChetan: Way to go ChotaChetan. i was waiting for the conspiracy angle to come in. Thank goodness the conspirators are still alive. After reading all the comments, was wondering where have all the conspirators gone. So far only Maria was keen on doing that. Good show... But you must make the conspiracy angle more exciting. What you are saying is old stuff. Why dont you say that RAW/MOSSAD/CIA flew in Abbotabad style and then flew out after erasing the records.Thats just so much more fun and we can keep debating that for the next few weeks till something more exciting happens.... Eh what say you???

Ravi Shastry | 13 years ago | Reply @haris: I have two words forr you - Attiqa Odho! If CJ Iftikar Suo Moto Chaudhury can summon Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman over the release of actress and All-Pakistan Muslim League member, Attiqa Odho, why can't he question how the evidence in this case was wiped out? Mr. Chaudhury is only interested in vengence and his power like every other power broker in Pakistan. It is so sad. But denials won't solve anything.

jagjit sidhoo | 13 years ago | Reply @Anwar: Dont they remind you of the SS and the Gestapo?

shair khan | 13 years ago | Reply Erased records have fully confirmed the murderers at ISI. What is shame full organization. Remember Allah will provide the final jutice to you all. Have fear of Allah and do the right thing at least now.

Roflcopter | 13 years ago | Reply God bless the ISI.

DumbGuy | 13 years ago | Reply Maria Pakistan Army and ISI are not security forces, they are the MAFIA. The sooner every one realize this better for future of pakistan

Mirza | 13 years ago | Reply @Maria: Problem solved. Journalists and media made army do the following: Surrender half of Pakistan after worst defeat in the world to Indians. Defeat at Kargil, leaving thousands of dead soldiers. Protecting and housing OBL in military base. Committing multiple acts of high treason by breaking the constitution for their dictatorial rule. Throwing 60 judges and their families in detention for dictatorial rule. Bringing the capital of the country as far away from East Pakistan as possible. Quaid Azam was a fool and dictator Ayub had corrected Quaid's mistake! Ayub sold three rivers of Punjab to India in an agreement called Sindh Tass agreement. Our Punjab (land of five rivers) became Doab, in Ayub's days. Do you want more facts or got the message?

ChotaChetan | 13 years ago | Reply Its well known RAW has trained Indian engineers to hack into Pakistani computer systems. Its part of teh cold start strategy to take out IT systems first like youtube, twitter etc so that Rahman Malik cannot tweet and watch start war clips. This clearly points to RAW/MOSSAD/CIA who alone have such technology to hack into secure telecom systems.

Mirza | 13 years ago | Reply @Mahmood: If we were going to recover the erased data then why would we erase it in the first place? Are you being naive or sarcastic? The whole world knows that there is no such thing as permanently erasing the data, unless one specifically uses high priced software to do that. Many criminals do that and I am not sure whether it can still be recovered or not? Regards

khurram | 13 years ago | Reply The only politician who can tame ISI now is Nawaz Sharif .May allah give him life and courage to make pakistan prosper again

Billoo Bhaya | 13 years ago | Reply @FISS: Agree with you completely. In another article in this newspaper I had quoted from George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm. I had compared Big Brother to our ISI and to what is happening in the country to it being the land of Animal Farm. I am pleased that I am in good company with people like yourselves. I don't know if you have seen the movie Shadowlands?? Its about the life of Prof. CS Lewis, Professor of Literature at Magdalen College, Oxford. In it in a tutorial he asks a student, why do we read?? To which the student replies; "To know that we are not alone". That's how I feel today, reading yours and other peoples comments written on Salim Shezad's demise in this newspaper have made me feel That we are not alone. That others too feel that Pakistan has gone off the track and I really fear that it will now be difficult to get it back on the track again. The forces of obscurantism and blackness, represented by the Mullah, the Military and the Most Religious Parties are coupled with rapacious politicians who have usurped the land which was heaven for all of us.

jagjit sidhoo | 13 years ago | Reply @Maria: In spite of all the evidence staring in your face you Maria will stick to your conspiracy theories . You need a 440 volt shock to come out of your brainwashed state. I hope for the sake of the rest of Pakistan there is no such shock but you brother seem to be beyond cure

Malik | 13 years ago | Reply @AG: Yes I have noted the same. These are not simple comments but well thought and written pieces of misinformation to propagate and malign Pakistan. These comments appear below every single news and have nothing to do with the substance of the news.

Bangash | 13 years ago | Reply This is circumstantial Proof that ISI killed Saleem Shahzad.

Harish S | 13 years ago | Reply A good journalist murdered in the name of being victimized and against Islam, off course

wahab | 13 years ago | Reply I aint paying any more taxes to fund ISI to kill m own brothers and sisters..

Harish S | 13 years ago | Reply they were lost too in 1971. 90,000 of them but thankfully sent back@Bilal khan:

Harish S | 13 years ago | Reply god bless Pakistan@rock:

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Charges are denied but the fact is that the people relating to ...............are responsible.

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply All the ways are leading to particular point why can we disregard them. He was formally called,targeted of sever beating with iron rod,he died then thrown him into a canal. It is fate of journalist here,who will speak truth,who will present true picture of the circumstances before the nation, who will try to guide the people and show them hypocrisy of the institutions will meet the same fate. That is our democracy,that is rule of law, that is respect of our figures who leads the nation to the right direction. It is an admitted fact that,agencies are ruling over the entire nation not leaders elected by the people.

omar abdullah | 13 years ago | Reply Amidst all these allegations, I do hope the establishment does not implicate an innocent victim and blame him for the killing of SS while clearing their own name. They are very well capable of doing that....

Anwar | 13 years ago | Reply Only in Pakistan, our own agencies kill our own citizens. How are we supposed to support these agencies? When its clear that agency is not protecting us, why have it? Why waste our money on these thugs and killers? Since they are unable to gather the intelligence of the daily non-stop suicide bombings they are probably active in killing our good citizens like Saleem Shahzad. Wait the suicide bombings may also be there activity so why will they inform us?

AG | 13 years ago | Reply By looking many of these comments, the first thing that came into my mind is a fairly organized and in-sync group of people writing well rehearsed and pre-planned BS about this country's institutions. Blame me but that's what I felt. Analyze the comments and you will see a pattern, clear and crystal.

ashok sai | 13 years ago | Reply Everybody commented here forgot one important aspect, ISI is a small fish but the bigger one is Pakistan Army. If this deletion of cell phone records holds true, it will confirm the following:- a) Al-Queda terrorists had infiltrated into Pakistan Army or soldiers had became terrorists. b) Pakistan Army had conducted a negotiation with Al-Queda. c) If this is the kind of link between Pak army and Al-Queda, OBL was indeed protected and guarded by Pakistan Army at Abbotabad.

hassan tahir | 13 years ago | Reply this is vary bad. a great journalist kidnapped by unknown and killed.this shows that no one is secure in this country.

mind control | 13 years ago | Reply @Maria "The killing of shahzad is in fact to target ISI. All those journalists training to implicate own security forces are paying list of CIA ." For God's sake have some sense of shame. Even the ISI has condoled the murder of Saleem Shahzad and has promised to leave 'no stone unturned' in apprehending the killers. Do you have any evidence of the calumny that you are spreading? If yes, bring it forward, if not, hold your tongue and be a human being for a change. The departed is survived by a widow and three young children, spare their feelings if it is not to much of an effort for you. In fact if you want to know who is on the 'paying list of USA' just look at the Wikileaks, which says that the Pakistan Army receives funds directly from US, independent of the Govt of Pakistan.

shazia | 13 years ago | Reply @haris:

    so why CJ take action on small police officer n FIA.?WHY IS HE AVOIDING DIFFICULT CASES.? IF thats not his job than y  take selective cases?

shazia | 13 years ago | Reply @Yasin Ali:

    cheif justice can takes action on small petty things than why not on this murder. if thats not his job to take action than why he taking suo moto on selective cases.

Aslam Riaz | 13 years ago | Reply Most of the above comments are claiming that it could be an act of Intelligence agencies. This can be a possibility but we need to have fair investigation before believing it. And if our countrymen dont feel the need of fair investigation of this case and all previous cases (and enjoy giving and sharing basless stories) then such cases will become more frequent and such nation is deemed to fail, as things having no firm base fall..... its natural.

haris | 13 years ago | Reply @Khurram Malik: You are talking about your security of your phone data. Oh God! how sure about your own security?

haris | 13 years ago | Reply @Ravi Shastry: When every matter is to be taken by Chief Justice as Suo Moto then why we need a Government & its legislation. lets throw them out because only CJ is the one everybody is looking at all the time.

haris | 13 years ago | Reply @Thinking: Still we have so many delusional prey like you.

Malik | 13 years ago | Reply It appears many propagandists have been unleashed to simply malign Pakistan. Some time the length of some of the remarks, their irrelevance to the topic but simple bigotry towards Pakistan speaks the story. There are many comments that without even changing a single dot appear on many different newspapers around the world. They have only one thing for sale; Pakistan is a terrorist state, Pakistan is a terrorist state, Pakistan is a terrorist state..... If anybody has some doubts, s/he can compare comments appearing on different papers like Washington post, New York time, The Economist etc. for any particular day, they will not let you down.

Feroz | 13 years ago | Reply @Megatrion: If you are a Muslim you should be ashamed of your statement. Nobody has a right to take a life, that power rests only with the Almighty who is the giver of life. Taking a life for the sake of national interest - whose national interest yours or the citizens ? Destroy ones own country while pointing the finger in all directions, is that in nations interest or against it ? While you are at it please also let all here know whether hosting OBL was in nations interest ? Was storming of PNS Mehran also in nations interest ? Was SS not investigating who targeted PNS Mehran and why ? Very sad to read such comments.

Pragmatist | 13 years ago | Reply @Maria: I suppose the CIA/MOSSAD/RAW trio also managed to erase his phone records?? Get real, Maria and pull your head out of the sand. It is obvious that you have a vested interest in the establishment. But to justify acts like this is hideous !

S. Ali Raza | 13 years ago | Reply Which cellular company had SSS been using? Who erased the records? who asked to erase the records? what did the records contain? - ET you got some follow up investigations to do, and inform your readers, so we can AT LEAST boycott that cellular company in protest, and also to make it an issue so that no one is able to get the records wiped out, even if they are paid $$$ for it.

jflossy | 13 years ago | Reply How does anyone know if the phone records are erased or that no calls were made after 12th May? Are there many people who have confirmed to have recived calls from his phone after 12th May? Who are they? Why arent they in this story, showing they recieved calls from his phone? They would still be there..saved on there phones memory. Or is this just some more shoddy, malicious journalism designed to malign ISI? It seems so.

Chilli | 13 years ago | Reply Hello Hello...Rehman Malik.. R u on line???

Haris Farooq | 13 years ago | Reply Wasnt he different from all other journalists of Pakistan? Stating publishing some of the most sensitive information on the web? may be pleasing some outside masters but seriously jeopordizing the security. We are already in deep trouble cant have more.

M.Akthar | 13 years ago | Reply Disgusting. :(

S. H. Zaidi | 13 years ago | Reply Judging from such bizarre incidents as this one, more and more people are convinced that we are our own worst enemies. All the comments above testify to the level of frustration that prevails among the people about the events happenings these days. Those all powerful demigods who think they are destined for some great role in the contemporary world should better think again. They should have mercy on this hapless nation and mend their ways. A little humility, and realisation of their true size and power in the scheme of things would do them no harm. The same is true of those conspiracy theorists like Zaid Hamid and the ilk, who are dreaming of hoisting the national flag on the Red Fort. In the current scheme of things, the best thing would be to devote energies to building the nation and ameliorate the miserable lot of the common man. Militant ideas, whether of the Islamic militant, or the official or the pseudo-intellectual variety, should be put in cold storage till the nation comes out of its current predicament. We should simply strive to be capable of self-defence; otherwise keep aloof from regional politics. Devoting the entire national resources to building up a strong military at the expense of education, health and the national economy, is like building up arms while having weak legs to stand on.

Yasin Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Shazia . Its not the job of Chief Justice to start taking action on each and every issue that arises due to in efficiency of this Govt ... We who have elected this corrupt and pathetic Govt needs to decide if this is the way of life which we want for ourselves or we want to live our life in a civilized way with freedom of expression and the right to freedom for every citizen as the priority . You , me and other cant sit in a bunker and ask Chief Justice to take Suo Motto on everything rather we should be out their protesting for the injustice that has been done by our system,

J. Oberoi | 13 years ago | Reply @Bilal khan: The days of conquests are long gone. Neither India nor Pakistan are looking to "conquer" each other. But it helps certain sections of the ruling class to keep this belief going. They have a lot to gain from it. As the callous murder of a brave journalist shows, they'll go to any extent to keep their irons in the fire.

Mangoes | 13 years ago | Reply He didn't make/receive calls in the last 18 days of his life, quite convincing.

FISS | 13 years ago | Reply "No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." - George Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 10

shazia | 13 years ago | Reply

      where is cheif justice?????????????????????? why is he not taking suo moto action. we struggled for 2 years to restore cheif justice. we were told by lawyers and media that once iftikhar choudry get restored  there will be rule of law. media  supported cheif justice in his restoration movment but when now media needs him he is silent. Whole pakistan knows that who killed salim shahzad.

Suresh | 13 years ago | Reply First they ERASED SS, then they ERASED his call record. I request Tribune to have sufficient back up, else, they will ERASE this site too.

Megatrion | 13 years ago | Reply By his reports he seems to be sponsored by anti-Pakistan elements. His murder is in our national interest ,it's also a lesson for others.

Abbas | 13 years ago | Reply Well the killers can erase the record / data but can not change their fates. This is unfortunate what else one can say. For killers the reason may be genuine but they surely lack skills to change hearts / minds. Same objective could have been achieved through alternate options.

Maria | 13 years ago | Reply The killing of shahzad is in fact to target ISI. All those journalists training to implicate own security forces are paying list of CIA . They are working for CIA,RAW, and Mossad. Their agenda is to weaken Pakistan economically,politically and militarily .Just u can well imagine ,the countries who are already violated human rights in Vietnam, Iraq, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Japan criticizing ISI and Pakistan for gaining cheap popularity. Actually they are killer of of their own agent who was working for their cause since 2008.

AD | 13 years ago | Reply @Khurram Malik: Keep your knowledge at home and stick to real issue.

Iftikhar-ur-Rehman | 13 years ago | Reply Only a very influential INSTITUTION or a an INDIVIDUAL could have got the data erased from the phone.ISI has tried to clarify that they had nothing to do with it but to exonerate themselves of this kidnapping and murder they should bring out their best team to investigate and arrest the killer / s of Salim Shahzad, otherwise this will remain as a stigma for ISI.

Bilal Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Where,s supreme court?

Indian | 13 years ago | Reply Why isnt anyone bringing in the concept of RAW having done this. I would have been proud of RAW :(

Salman Orangiwala | 13 years ago | Reply CPLC Karachi Chief always meeking out his opine that the Mobile network data and call logs are NOT available even to Karachi Police , only the agencies have the privilege to access such data . So here is the hypothesis , RAW and MOSSAD killed Saleem Shehzad . They even infiltrated their agents in the "agencies ". The infiltrated RAW agents in the agencies , accessed the data and erased it . OR The agencies infitrated into RAW or Mossad . Implanted their agents in RAW , RAW killed Saleem Shehzad . Mossad agents erased the data . Arghhhh................ this is getting baffling .....why there are so much of RAW, RAW and RAW ?? So down with RAW and Mossad agents and long live our "sacred" cows who we feed not just to "moooo " but to kick "do-latti " on our butt whenever we try to get some milk out of it .

Illiterate jehadi | 13 years ago | Reply All the top pakistani militants i search on internet, Saleem has done their interviews...

Moazzam Salim | 13 years ago | Reply This is a clear admission of guilt by the ISI. Lets see how the Government is going to react to this news as they have reportedly announced a hefty sum for any information about the crime.

vasan | 13 years ago | Reply On second thoughts, How was ET able to obtain network logs for Saleem's number for a month. Are cell phone data available for a price or has Pakistan got a "Right to Information Act" like India and that covers mobile phone records as well ???

Feroz | 13 years ago | Reply When people can go missing without leaving clues and any eye witnesses, erasing the log records of a cell phone is a cake walk for the protagonists. While the CJ of Pakistan takes suo motto notice of many matters that put the powerless civilian Government in the dock the honourable Justices have a pathetic record of standing up to the misdeeds of the Establishment. It is all a question of mindset and those who share a similar mindset will always cover up for their friends. The extra constitutional forces that subvert the Constitution can be referred as 3M. As the Judiciary sympathizes with these forces on the basis of ideology the very Institution whose job it is to protect the people is the main culprit No wonder the country finds itself in a pickle if not a downward spiral.

BM | 13 years ago | Reply Snooping on, and now deleting, mobile phone records is the exclusive domain of the ISI, they can do this without a court order, a simple phone call to the operator does the trick. Most operators have dedicated ‘Liaison’ officers for them. What boggles my mind is that why would an agency with the word ‘intelligence’ in its title, leave behind such an obvious smoking gun. Is this impunity or stupidity?

faheem | 13 years ago | Reply really very sad

R S JOHAR | 13 years ago | Reply Its an international news however, the whole world knows the killer of this brave journalist.

Moderate | 13 years ago | Reply ET is as guilty as whoever raised the record, who gave ET the permission to get SS's record?

VZFT | 13 years ago | Reply The cell phone records are not kept at a single place, and considering the size of the system and scale of it.,It is highly improbable that a single record of a single subscriber could be erased "Magically". The PTA i believe also logs calls for up to two months. Although they will never accept that.

Buahaha! | 13 years ago | Reply It can be an "inside job" to bring bad name to the Intelligence Services. Interior Ministry and so many other offices have sufficient influence on telecom companies. too many wrongs for ISI suddenly doesn't make sense.... ..not that i am representing them, we have to look at the broader side of the picture!

SAAwais | 13 years ago | Reply As if we needed anymore evidence as to who was behind this heinous crime!

parvez | 13 years ago | Reply Its Magic.

Fahd Shah | 13 years ago | Reply Long live Pakistan....

Javed X | 13 years ago | Reply Raise up against these fascists who have raped and pillaged this country for the last 60 years. And while at it impart justice to feudals and pirs and chaudhrys etc who have also raped and pillaged our society. Until this happens this country is not for the people, by the people or of the people.

Vidyut Kale | 13 years ago | Reply A few weeks more, and you'd have investigators dismissing the case because there was no proof that such a man existed at all.

Pan Mat | 13 years ago | Reply Shahzad is trying to play Keenu Reeves of Matrix when Mr. Smith is the supreme force in running the system, his erasure is neither surprising nor a revelation. I am only surprised that Mr. Zaid Hamid has not been on TV proclaiming that the only facts we know are as follows: 1) A prominent journalist has been murdered 2) The circumstances has been more than mysterious 3) The only country to gain from this mayhem is to our East 4) Drone attacks are violating our Sovereignty (never mind the disconnect with original topic) 5) This is a conspiracy to seize our nuclear weapon 6) We will prevail again and honor Shahzad by broadcasting Radio Pakistan from Delhi 7) Then quickly move from 6) above to criticize New Delhi for hegemonic design to engulf Pakistan 8) This leaves no choice (raise voice and tempo) that India is a suppressed race that cannot look past its glorious past, 8+% growth rate for last five years, 200+ Billion foreign exchange reserve, booming economy, affluent lobbies in US and Europe and chose to concentrate full time on defaming Pakistan. 9 Pakistan would have beaten India in World Cup if it was not for Indian bookies, but also reiterate that Pakistani players are as pious as one can be, damn those Indians for playing under the evil influence of money - as bad as a capitalistic can be!

Hasan Siftain Cheema | 13 years ago | Reply It is so depressing, so pessimist, May Allah help Pakistan

vasan | 13 years ago | Reply If this is true, then one or all of the following must be true 1. ISI was involved in killing thru rogue/normal agents and state/non state actors and erased all the voice calls thru which Saleem was threatened 2. Taliban has penetrated Pakistani telecom/mobile companies and in cahoot with the ISI, has erased all the cell phone records 3. Pakistani media is not all free and mostly works with a gun pointed to its head 4. Violence is the only rule which seems to have permeated into all aspects of state and non state establishment of Pakistan None of this bodes well for Pakistan

mind control | 13 years ago | Reply Does this prove that the non-ISI suspects have access and control of cellphone networks of Pakistan? OR, Does it prove that those who have such access and control have something to hide? Protestations to the contrary not withstanding.

Azar | 13 years ago | Reply While some quarters have been trying to convince people that Saleem was killed by terrorists, I'm quite surprised to know these "terrorists" have sufficient influence over telecom companies to make his call log disappear. He was indeed killed by terrorists but not the ones we think. What's the point of all this reporting when "those who must not be named" will never be answerable in this life for the murder of Saleem and many others like him.

AD | 13 years ago | Reply I See I. So strange and difficult to understand this,who did it.

bulbul | 13 years ago | Reply Where is supreme court now? Issue notices to PTA and Shehzad Saleem's network provider. There is no such thing as data disappearing "mysteriously". Fine them heavily and they will burp out who asked them to withhold the information.

SZ | 13 years ago | Reply This is a hopeless country with the worst kind of people

Rahul Singh | 13 years ago | Reply Such things can't be done without pressure from government authorities

Imran | 13 years ago | Reply His mobile network company must be ask for clarifications on how did that happen. Mobile operators are the only one who can actually do that

Khurram Malik | 13 years ago | Reply I am astonished at terrible editing of this news piece. CrPC is Criminal Procedure Code, so I think the correspondent here is trying to say PPC (Pakistan Penal Code) to which this section 302 relates to. Plus I would like Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to take notice of what is written in this piece. How can a newspaper take call records of any cellphone belonging to any user? Either cell phone company is involved or some agency because only these two authorities have access to such records. That means my data is not safe and accessible to every correspondent of every newspaper?????????????????????

Bilal | 13 years ago | Reply That settles it. We know who killed him without a doubt now.

Omar Haroon | 13 years ago | Reply "Mysteriously deleted" my foot! I highly doubt militants have the capability to pull such a stunt off. "They" must bet getting even more desperate and sloppy if they're resorting to such tactics to cover their tracks.

Mahmood | 13 years ago | Reply Any person with basic knowledge in cyber forensics would know that it is in fact possible to recover such lost data if one wanted to. It all boils down to file systems (even for cheaper phones) making it truly viable.

redipen | 13 years ago | Reply Saleem Shahzad was untouchable, until now - he could have testified in the upcoming KSM show trial, confirming that the infamous 'terrorist' in the dock is nothing more than a patsy for a show trial, e.g. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/DJ30Df01.html

akash | 13 years ago | Reply well now clearly TTP or Al quaeda are not involved is it. what a joke really. its time much loved ARMY and ISI are held accountable. It is sad to see innocent Pakistanis die whilst the country is driven downhill by morons( and I mean everyone from all powerful military.. politicians and ISI). Someone who actually knew what was going on inside Military or ISI is killed and apologists and conspiracy theorists will perhaps never ask tough questions because they dont have the courage to stomach the reality. Mr. Shazad like Mr. Taseer and Mr. Bhatti is a hero not for Pakistan but for whole world and pakistan should honour brave men and women like them by bringing the culprit to book.

Analyst | 13 years ago | Reply Startling. So now which agency has access to erasing phone records ? Nothing more needs to be said.

Billoo Bhaya | 13 years ago | Reply One can easily find out who ordered the erasure of SS phone record. Will be the same people who washed away the evidence of the attack on Benazir Bhutto. For this simple reason Pakistanis can never be members of the civilized world. If behavior of the State's custodians is to fabricate evidence and to murder people that oppose their ideology, which they don't even understand themselves and are basically bankrupt and described as Duffers, then we Pakistanis should not complain when the world points fingers at us. We are bad people with bad intentions and will never amount to a hill of beans. The ISI officers should all be arrested, tried and hanged if guilty for this and many other murders they have committed as well as for kidnapping people without case, now known as the missing people. It is not India, not Israel and not America that has caused our problems. We are responsible for all that is wrong with Pakistan. CJ is you want to earn a name for yourself even at the point of death please go after these people. Your name will live for ever, otherwise you too will not be remembered like all the politicians and armed forces officers of Pakistan until now.

KR | 13 years ago | Reply May GOD bless his soul and I truly feel very sorry for his family, he paid the ultimate price for asking question and trying to find the truth. At the same time I am ashamed to say that in "Islamic Republic of Corruption" justice system including Police departments across the entire country work exclusively for the rich folks. No wonder why move we one step forward and two steps back and in the process almost everyone wants their 10% that they think they are absolutely entitled to.

Ravi Shastry | 13 years ago | Reply What happened to Chief Justice Suo Moto while this tragedy was unfolding? Probably His Lordship was preoccupied with matters like why someone was let off by customs while bringing in couple of bottles of holy grail.

Thinking | 13 years ago | Reply The ISI are the defenders of Pakistan. How dare you criticize them!!!??!

BruteForce | 13 years ago | Reply There is a story which is similar to this. There was a theft in Akbar's kingdom and the case was brought to his clever minister, Birbal. He calls everyone concerned and says that he knows who is the thief and that thief has a leaf stuck in his hair. Suddenly, among the whole bunch only one guy raises his hand to see if there is indeed a leaf stuck in his hair and by doing that lets Birbal know he is the culprit. Now, if ISI is indeed not the one who did it, why was his phone record deleted? Not every Tom,Dick and Harry have access to phone records do they, let alone delete/purge them from the system altogether!!

AD | 13 years ago | Reply It leaves no doubt in my mind.100% some powerful Govt orgnisation is involved. Who is powerful enough in Pak? I See I.I am so immature can't think anyone.

faraz | 13 years ago | Reply Erased records have fully confirmed the murderers

Manzoor | 13 years ago | Reply How has the power or access to delete record of some selected days from server of a private company? Not extremists. So one plus one makes two. This is called over activeness.

Bilal khan | 13 years ago | Reply ISI needs to be tamed. It should be protective of it's citizen, it contrast our army has only conquered Pakistan and it's people so far. Lost Kashmir lost bangladesh and confidence of millions. Wake up

Star | 13 years ago | Reply NOW HOW DID THE RAW/CIA/MOSSAD FUNDED TALIBAN MANAGE TO ERASE HIIS CELLPHONE RECORDS? When will the slumbering Pakistani nation wake up and realize that the biggest terrorist is in their midst. The deep state, the establishment, spy agency, call them what you want, the damage caused by the ISI playing it's paltry games has taken Pakistan back by at least 20 years, compared to it's neighbors. Another voice silenced forever, as the nation slips into the Abyss further and further.

rock | 13 years ago | Reply Now, entire world knows who killed "Shahid Saleem Shahzad". The institute got bitten all over the world is now killing innocent journalist what sort of revenge is this. God bless pakistan.

Mirza | 13 years ago | Reply It is crystal clear who killed Salim S? What news item he was working at? What was the subject of his last report? Who was he exposing in public? Who is the most powerful force in Pakistan which has committed most crimes including murders and never got caught? This is not the first or the last time it is being done. The expertise with which these crimes are committed, and proofs erased shows the killers are professional and not ordinary criminals. I am not surprised that phone record is erased or the murder scene is promptly washed with high pressure hoses!

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