Human Rights Watch Blasts Impunity Of Pakistan Security Agency

Journalist Saleem Shahzad

The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) is criticizing what it calls "impunity" for Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and is urging the Pakistani government to identify the killers of a prominent journalist.

HRW says in a written statement that a Pakistani judicial commission set up to probe the killing last May of journalist Saleem Shahzad failed to question intelligence officials.

The commission's probe did not result in the identification of any murder suspects.

Shahzad, who investigated alleged links between Pakistan's military and Al-Qaeda, was abducted, tortured, and killed days after U.S. troops killed Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

HRW Asia Director Brad Adams said the commission's failure "illustrates the ability of the ISI to remain beyond the reach of Pakistan's criminal justice system."