Saleem Shahzad commission to present report in 2-3 weeks

Commission went to great lengths to obtain evidence hence contributing to the delay when some witnesses were late.

ISLAMABAD: The commission investigating journalist Saleem Shahzad's murder has stated that they had completed proceedings and deliberations, and were in the process of finalising its report, the result of which would be available in two to three weeks time, the secretary of the commission said in a handout on Tuesday.

In a press release issued by the commission, the secretary of the Saleem Shahzad murder commission noted that there were certain concerns over the proceedings having been extended. However, the delay is attributed to certain inevitable factors, in that, some of the important witnesses were either abroad or were unable to appear, for certain very valid reasons, the release explained.

It further added that Brigadier Zahid Mehmood Khan, Commander Sector Headquarter (Central) Islamabad, who represented the ISI in the matter availed some time to prepare and produce before the Commission the written version of the agency. The commission took further time to examine ISI officials including Brigadier Zahid Mehmood Khan, Rear Admiral Adnan Nazir, Head of the Media ISI, Islamabad, Brigadier Iftikhar Ali Khan, Deputy Director General, ISI Headquarter, Islamabad and Commodore Khalid Pervaiz, Director ISI. These were all summoned and had appeared before this Commission from time to time for their statements, the statement acknowledged.

The statement further attributed the secretary as claiming that the commission was extremely careful and meticulous in ensuring that evidence was collected from every possible source, covering all aspects. For this press releases and advertisements were placed in the media. Representative bodies of the journalist were also approached to bring forth any evidence through its members which could be helpful for the purpose of the commission.

The statement added that the Commission made it a point to access the e-mail accounts of the deceased journalist Saleem Shahzad. It said that the commission then had to carefully sift and analyse through the voluminous nature of e-mails comprising over 37,000 messages. Voluminous telephonic record of the deceased was also scanned for the purposes of GEO fencing, the statement noted.

The Commission will be submitting its final report to the Government within two to three weeks from today, the Secretary stated.