News
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Haqqani reaffirms commitment to probe Shahzad’s murder
* Envoy to US slams those blaming all ills inside country on external factors
* Says people should stand up to reality
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani on Monday reaffirmed the governments’ commitment to investigate the killing of journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad.
He was speaking at a condolence meeting, organised by Pakistan-American Media Forum, which was attended by a number of US-based Pakistani journalists, representatives of Human Rights Watch, Reporters Sans Borders, and Committee to Protect Journalists and president of Washington’s National Press Club.
Haqqani said he joins the journalistic community in condoling the tragic death of Shahzad and expressing outrage at the treatment meted out to him.
Pakistan, he said, is facing a big challenge in the form of violent extremism and stressing a larger perspective underlined that this is not the time for “finger-pointing” and talking in terms of “us and them.”
He pointed out that Pakistani society is suffering from violent extremism. Not only journalists but political leaders including former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer and former minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti, religious leaders and our soldiers and intelligence operatives have been targeted.
Haqqani sounded confident that Pakistan would come out of this state of conflict, but urged that the people have to face and stand up to the reality that they have to strive for a pluralist society.
“I am not only for a full investigation, but also an end to all this is happening. There are leaders in Pakistan who recognise that what is happening is wrong,” he said.
Haqqani criticised those people in Pakistan who have a tendency to blame all the ills inside the country on external factors. “There may be elements in the government who refuse to take responsibility for dealing with the criminal behaviour. But there are people in the government who are victims of this criminal behaviour,” the envoy said.
The ambassador stressed the need to recognise that many Pakistanis share a vision for the 21st century based on universal values. Anwar Iqbal conducted the proceedings.
Several journalists, including Masood Haider and Khawar Rizvi, also spoke at the meeting, which adopted a resolution urging a probe into the killing of Shahzad and measures to ensure protection for members of his the deceased journalist’s family.
Bob Dietz from the Committee to Protect Journalists, Mark Hamrick, President National Press Club, Clothilde Le Coz representing Reporters sans Borders, also spoke on the occasion and demanded an investigation into the assassination of Shahzad to hold the culprits responsible. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk