It has come to my notice that a spokesman of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) while speaking to the official national news agency in Islamabad yesterday has questioned the baseless allegations levelled by Human Rights Watch on the basis of an email from Saleem Shahzad,the bureau chief of the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online,in their possession. Shahzad was murdered three days ago near Islamabad after being abducted by unknown persons.
I wish to state on record that the email in the possession of Mr Ali Dayan,the monitor for Human Rights Watch (HRW) stationed in,Lahore Pakistan,is indeed one of the three identical emails sent by Mr Shahzad to HRW,his employers (Asia Times Online) and to his former employer,myself. I also wish to verify that allegations levied by HRW at the ISI are essentially in complete consonance with the contents of the slain journalists email.
The ostensible agenda for this meeting was the subject of Mr Shahzadss story in Asia Times Online with respect to the Pakistan government freeing of senior Afghan Taliban commander,Mullah Baraadar. Mr Shahzad informed the senior officials that the story was leaked by an intelligence channel in Pakistan,and confirmed thereafter by the most credible Taliban source. The senior officials present suggested to Mr Shahzad that he officially deny the story,which he refused to do,terming the officials demand as impractical.
The senior intelligence official was curious to identify the source of Mr Shahzads story claiming it to be a shame that such a leak should occur from the offices of a high profile intelligence service. Mr Shahzad additionally stated that the rear-admiral offered him some information,ostensibly as a favour in the following words: We have recently arrested a terrorist and have recovered a lot of data,diaries and other materials during the interrogation. The terrorist had a hit list with him. If I find your name on the list I will certainly let you know. Mr Shahzad subsequently confirmed to me in a conversation that he not only interpreted this conversation as a veiled threat to his person,he also informed me that he let an official from the ISI know soon thereafter that he intended to share the content of this threat with his colleagues.
As president of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and as head of Pakistans leading media group,I consider the security of journalists to be of paramount importance. At present the APNS has officially committed itself to the creation of a national body for the investigations of serious threats to the lives of journalists,a body which the Committee to Protect the Journalists in New York,and other leading organisations in the Pakistani press and human rights bodies have promised to lend vigorous support to. Pakistan has one of the highest rates in the world for journalists killings and such an environment is inimical to the functioning of democracy. The government and the intelligence agencies should take the investigation into Mr Shahzads murder seriously and examine his last testimony closely.
Whether the October 18 incident itself or his last article in the Asia Times Online that alleged al-Qaeda penetration of the security curtain for the Pakistani naval establishment in Karachi hastened his murder is for the official investigation to uncover. And nobody,not even the ISI,should be above the law.
The writer is president of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS),Karachi
