Journalists in Pakistan bid a sad farewell to their colleague Saleem Shazad today. Fellow reporter Abbas Nasir from Pakistan's Dawn newspaper said he was filled with "deep, helpless despair." After disappearing on Sunday from Islamabad, Shahzad was found slain dozens of miles outside the capital yesterday. Police said his body bore signs of torture.
An investigative reporter who wrote for the Asia Time Online and other publications, he often covered sensitive topics in Pakistan such as the ties between al-Qaeda and Pakistan's navy. Before he was killed, he told a human rights activist he'd been threatened by intelligence agents.
But will his death change anything in Pakistan?
A senior Pakistani intelligence official said it was "absurd" to say Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was involved.
Colleagues at his funeral have vowed Shahzad's killing will not silence them.
Prominent Pakistani journalist Azhar Abbas said, "we will not shut our voices down. The journalist community is united on this."
But it's not just journalists who are worried about what's happened.
Umer, a listener in Karachi phoned in to say, "Ordinary people are getting abducted and kidnapped too. None of us feel safe."
So what will it take to change things in Pakistan? Is there anything other countries can do? How important is it for journalists and other Pakistanis to continue to speak out, even though the risks are clearly high?
Please post your thoughts below or on our Facebook site and I'll read out as many as I can on air.
Your comments
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:57
118037332
Just spoke to @±«Óãtv_WHYS about the killing of Pakistani journalist #SaleemShahzad
Comment sent via Facebook
18:46
113631290
<p>
Asad: All this talk about freedom of speech being destroyed in Pakistan is a joke. Watching Pakistani news channels, I have seen journalists openly criticising and making fun of the military and the government repeatedly without any repercussions.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
18:45
113631290
<p>
Ratan posts "Saleem Shahzad is lion-heart who took torture rather than blink and sing the info for ISI. Bravest among journalists."<br />
</p>
Comment sent via host
18:31
113631290
We''re moving on now to talk about the killing of journalist Saleem Shahzad in Pakistan - coming up after the news headlines
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:26
118039120
@±«Óãtv_WHYS As an American soccer fan, I think Qatar is a poor choice for the 2022 WC. Japan has a much better infrastructure and fan base.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:16
117295402
@±«Óãtv_WHYS The ISI is hell bent slaying anybody who dares to unravel the nexus between the Al-Qaeda n ISI . Kudos to Shazad who braved it
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:16
117811425
@±«Óãtv_WHYS as a new FIFA ref I am proud of what JW has done for Cncaf & CFU. Give him a fair and independent trial so he can clear his name.
Comment sent via host
18:06
113631290
Welcome to the programme - Ben J with you online today - look forward to getting your contributions on Sepp Blatter''s re-election and what the death of Saleem Shahzad says about Pakistan.
On Air: Sepp Blatter Elected / Saleem Shahzad
| Wednesday, 6 June 2011 | 17:46 - 19:46 GMT
Journalists in Pakistan bid a sad farewell to their colleague Saleem Shazad today. Fellow reporter Abbas Nasir from Pakistan's Dawn newspaper said he was filled with "deep, helpless despair."
After disappearing on Sunday from Islamabad, Shahzad was found slain dozens of miles outside the capital yesterday. Police said his body bore signs of torture.
An investigative reporter who wrote for the Asia Time Online and other publications, he often covered sensitive topics in Pakistan such as the ties between al-Qaeda and Pakistan's navy. Before he was killed, he told a human rights activist he'd been threatened by intelligence agents.
But will his death change anything in Pakistan?
A senior Pakistani intelligence official said it was "absurd" to say Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was involved.
Colleagues at his funeral have vowed Shahzad's killing will not silence them.
Prominent Pakistani journalist Azhar Abbas said, "we will not shut our voices down. The journalist community is united on this."
But it's not just journalists who are worried about what's happened.
Umer, a listener in Karachi phoned in to say, "Ordinary people are getting abducted and kidnapped too. None of us feel safe."
So what will it take to change things in Pakistan? Is there anything other countries can do? How important is it for journalists and other Pakistanis to continue to speak out, even though the risks are clearly high?
Please post your thoughts below or on our Facebook site and I'll read out as many as I can on air.
Your comments
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
Just spoke to @±«Óãtv_WHYS about the killing of Pakistani journalist #SaleemShahzad
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Asad: All this talk about freedom of speech being destroyed in Pakistan is a joke. Watching Pakistani news channels, I have seen journalists openly criticising and making fun of the military and the government repeatedly without any repercussions.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
<p> Ratan posts "Saleem Shahzad is lion-heart who took torture rather than blink and sing the info for ISI. Bravest among journalists."<br /> </p>
Comment sent via host
We''re moving on now to talk about the killing of journalist Saleem Shahzad in Pakistan - coming up after the news headlines
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@±«Óãtv_WHYS As an American soccer fan, I think Qatar is a poor choice for the 2022 WC. Japan has a much better infrastructure and fan base.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@±«Óãtv_WHYS The ISI is hell bent slaying anybody who dares to unravel the nexus between the Al-Qaeda n ISI . Kudos to Shazad who braved it
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@±«Óãtv_WHYS as a new FIFA ref I am proud of what JW has done for Cncaf & CFU. Give him a fair and independent trial so he can clear his name.
Comment sent via host
Welcome to the programme - Ben J with you online today - look forward to getting your contributions on Sepp Blatter''s re-election and what the death of Saleem Shahzad says about Pakistan.