Allegations linking ISI in Syed Saleem Shahzad murder baseless: Pakistan military

The Pakistani military today dismissed as "unfounded and baseless" allegations linking ISI to the abduction and killing of journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad and said the murder should be thoroughly probed by a commission.

A spokesperson for the Inter-Services Public Relations expressed concern at "unfounded and baseless insinuations" in a section of the print and electronic media "against the ISI in regard to the murder" of Shahzad.

"Such negative aspersions and accusations were also voiced against the ISI in some previous cases but investigations proved those wrong," the spokesperson said in a brief statement.

The military strongly supported the formation of a commission to investigate the murder of Shahzad.

"The case must be investigated thoroughly and facts made known to the people," the spokesperson added.

Shahzad went missing while driving from his home to a TV station in Islamabad on May 29, two days after he alleged in an article that the Pakistan Navy had been infiltrated by al Qaeda.

His body, bearing marks of torture, was found in a canal in Punjab province the next day.

Journalists' organisations and rights groups have alleged that the ISI was linked to the abduction of Shahzad, a charge that has already been denied by the powerful spy agency.