The deadly sin of telling the truth

Saleem Shahzad, the bureau chief of Asia Times Online, has paid the price committing the worse sin of them all in Pakistan – telling the truth. Perhaps if he had opted to be on the intelligence agencies’ payroll and glorify bloodthirsty terrorists, he might have lived, and in a much leisurely fashion as well. But no… the curse of being a journalist took its toll on him, forcing him to disclose stuff that is never meant to become public knowledge. He knew that his life was in danger… he had told the Human Rights Watch about it. He also must have thought about what would become of his wife and three children if he is no longer around. But he went through with it anyway.

He disclosed in a report that al Qaeda had infiltrated the Pak Navy. A cell of the terrorist organisation was operating in many naval bases in Karachi. When the navy intelligence found out about it, many lower cadre naval personnel were arrested. After al Qaeda demanded their release, the Pak Navy tried to negotiate with it but failed. Eventually this led to the attacks on navy buses in Karachi and finally the PNS Mehran siege.

Shahzad had certainly tested the patience of some with such disclosures and to make matters worse, the journalist was planning to reveal more information on how al Qaeda had made inroads into the other armed forces of the country as well. This was unforgivable. They wanted Shahzad’s head on a spike.

Going through the list of the usual suspects, Shahzad may have been murdered by the bearded lunatics, whom he had spent his career reporting about, or it could have been our sleazebag spooks as they had every reason to teach him a ‘lesson’.

Shahzad’s murder was nowhere near the usual al Qaeda or Taliban style ala the gruesome Daniel Peal killing. However, it reeks of the intelligence agencies’ malice. The Human Rights Watch has claimed that Shahzad was abducted by the Inter-Services Intelligence. His abduction from a city like Islamabad, minutes after he had left for a TV station to participate in a talk show - perhaps to disclose more ‘disturbing’ stuff – the discovery of his body in the Sarai Alamgir area bearing torture marks, one just needs to fit the pieces together. Maybe his abductors didn’t want him dead… only give him a thrashing he would never forget, but their third degree tactics proved too much for the journalist. His death has probably only multiplied their troubles.

Whatever the case may be, it’s hopeless to expect a proper investigation into this grim affair. After the usual condemnations, condolences and the announcement of a probe, the case would be closed before anyone realises it.

Shahzad’s murder also brings another issue into focus. Whether it is him in Islamabad or Wali Khan Babar in Karachi, journalists would remain an easy target. Unarmed and vulnerable, they still put their lives at risk everyday, driven by the urge to do the right thing. And sometimes, it ends with the biggest sacrifice they can make.