Journalists asked for providing further information over Saleem Shahzad's murder

ISLAMABAD: An Inquiry Commission on Saturday directed a number of journalists, appearing before it, to provide all the available information, if any, in written form, regarding the case of slain journalist Saleem Shahzad.

The meeting, held in the Supreme Court building, was chaired by its president Justice Mian Nisar Saqib, Judge of the apex Court. The Commission also summoned investigation officer of the case from Mandi Bahauddin to appear before it, besides, records of all toll plazas situated on roads leading from Islamabad to Mandi Bahauddin.

A number of journalists had recorded their viewpoints while they were also asked to submit their written statements. Provision and enhancement of security to the working journalists was also emphasized during the meeting.

Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and member of the Commission, Taimur Azmat Usman after the meeting informed mediamen that cell-phone data of slain journalist was made available to the Commission. Parvez Shaukat, President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, on the occasion said that US should also share if it had any evidences about the incident.

Further proceeding was put off till July 18. The meeting was attended by other members of the Commission including Federal Shariat Court Chief Justice Agha Rafiq, Islamabad IG Bani Amin and Punjab IG Javed Iqbal. During previous proceeding in Lahore, the Commission had summoned leading journalists based in Islamabad, besides, directing Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to decode Saleem Shahzad's Email account.

Saleem Shahzad, an Islamabad based journalist associated with foreign web-page journal, was killed in mysterious circumstances during the last month and the journalist bodies had demanded setting up of an independent Commission headed by a serving Judge of the Supreme Court, to probe the issue.

On June 20, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had given his approval over government's request by nominating Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, to head an Inquiry Commission to probe the murder case of journalist Saleem Shahzad.

He gave his approval on a request of the government, made through Ministry of Law and Justice for nominating Judge of the Court to act as President of Commission, to be constituted under section 3 of Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act, 1956 (Act VI of 1956), for indepth probe of the mysterious assassination of Journalist Saleem Shahzad.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011