Source/Credit: The Times of India
By TOI | Jun 2, 2011
The torture and murder of leading Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad throws into sharp relief an ironic twist in the politics of the Muslim world. As the populations of one Middle Eastern country after the other revolt against authoritarianism in favour of democracy, Pakistan is headed the other way. Shahzad's death follows two other high-profile murders. Earlier, the minister for minority affairs Shahbaz Bhatti was apparently slain for supporting Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman jailed for blasphemy. Also killed was the governor of the Punjab, Salman Taseer, by his own bodyguard. Combined, the murders suggest a trend at the heart of the Pakistani state, whereby dissent from official views is no longer tolerated.
Shahzad's murder also suggests that he was onto something.
It's hard to believe that his disappearance, just after he filed a story about the Pakistani navy being infiltrated by terrorists, is a mere coincidence - particularly since there is a history of Shahzad being threatened by the ISI for previous reports filed by him. Couple that with growing evidence of ISI involvement in 26/11, and Pakistan's 'state-within-a-state' may be as threatening to its own citizens as it is to India and the world. Along with Abbottabad and the Mehran naval base raid, Shahzad's murder is another blot on the face of Pakistan's security establishment. Whether authorities have the will to trace Shahzad's murderers or not will be a test of what sort of country Pakistan is turning out to be. Don't be too surprised if not much is done to apprehend them. Isn't the trail also running cold when it comes to investigating the perpetrators of 26/11?
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