A judicial commission, formed to investigate the brutal murder and torture of journalist Saleem Shahzad, failed to submit a report or draw any conclusion at the end of its six-week deadline.
The high-powered inquiry commission, formed in late June, was tasked to submit its report, findings and recommendation within six weeks. A request to extend the deadline for the commission’s findings has been sent to concerned authorities, sources familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune.
The five-member commission comprises Supreme Court judge Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Federal Shariat Court Chief Justice Justice Agha Rafiq, Inspector General of Police Punjab, IGP Islamabad and Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Pervez Shaukat.
The commission was tasked to “inquire into the background and circumstance of abduction and subsequent murder of Saleem Shahzad, to indentify the culprits involved in the abduction and subsequent murder of the said journalist, and recommend measures to prevent recurrence of such gruesome incidents against journalists in future.”
Shaukat told The Express Tribune that the commission has recorded the statements of various officials as well as other individuals.
“Some new aspects have surfaced after visiting the scene of the crime and recording statements of certain individuals,” he said, adding that the commission has given some directions to investigators.
He said that important witnesses, including Shahzad’s widow and Human Rights Watch (Pakistan chapter) Director Ali Dayan Hassan, are yet to record their statements before the commission.
Ali Dayan Hassan told The Express Tribune that he has not recorded his statement because he is currently out of the country and will appear before the commission soon. “The Human Rights Watch hopes that the commission will complete its work satisfactorily,” he said.
The PFUJ president said that the extension in the commission’s deadline will be discussed in the next meeting.
Saleem Shahzad, the Pakistan Bureau Chief of Asia Times Online, was found dead in Mandi Bahauddin, nearly 130 kilometres south east of Islamabad.
His body bore severe marks of torture.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2011.
COMMENTS (7)
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This is like Taleban setting up a commission to investigate 9/11 and the operations chief of Al-Qaida is on the investigating commission.
@ Mohd Irfan....R U A Pakistani....?? hv u heard of any commission report submitted to the public.....starting from Mr Liaqat Ali Khan to Hammodur Rahman report to BB....beside, till today no FIR has been recorded against the first attack on BB in Karachi though PPP govt in power in Center & Sindh....?? what does all these issues speak off....
everyone is dead quiet about the people behind the murder of wali khan babar,why is this so? why is our media so scared of the people behind wali's murder? he was employed by the largest media group in pakistan,why is this media group so silent over wali's death?
why all this hue and cry only for saleem shahzad only? why not a word,why not a single talkshow for wali babar? why wali babar's killers are not mentioned on the media? why is the largest channel silent over the killing of its reporter?
This is really shameful for us that we are treating our people like this. How much time has passed after the death of the Saleem Shahzad Murder and we still have no clue and details about the murder of Saleem Shahzad. Is this the way to treat our people and particularly to those who work for us and our wisdom while playing with their own lives. Please take it to serious and work out on this sincerely so that the accused people could come in front of judiciary, and get the punishment of this cruel deed.
The outcome of results of the judicial commission was a foregone conclusion since who in Pakistan can dare to take the 'BULL'(known to all) by its horns ?