Saleem Shahzad murder: Commission to meet slain journalist’s wife

Federal Union of Journalists say commission unable to obtain phone set.

ISLAMABAD:

The judicial commission probing Saleem Shahzad’s murder decided to visit the places where Shahzad’s car and body were recovered. The commission also decided to meet the slain journalist’s wife.

Member of the commission Pervaiz Shaukat and president Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said that although the commission was in possession of Shahzad’s cell phone records, it was still unable to obtain his phone set and laptop.

The meeting was held at the Supreme Court (SC) building with SC Judge Justice Saqib Nisar in chair. Shaukat said that the commission would visit Sarai Alamgir and Mandi Bahauddin areas respectively. Regarding the commission meeting the slain journalist’s wife, Shaukat said that the final decision had not yet been taken since she was still in iddat (mourning).

The judicial commission also recorded the statements of journalists Tahir Ali and Naseem Zahra. Besides that, it also recorded the statements of Mohammad Shafiq – the man who had pulled out Shahzad’s body from the canal, Shahzad Cheema, an employee of the Edhi Foundation and Raja Ansar, a namberdar.

The body was informed that the Punjab and Islamabad police were also investigating the matter separately. The next session of the commission will be held on July 25.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st,  2011.