United States Senator John Kerry, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the murder of Asia Times Online Pakistan Bureau Chief Saleem Shahzad in a statement issued on Thursday.
“I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the recent abduction and murder of reporter Syed Saleem Shahzad. His reporting on critical national security and intelligence issues helped shed light on the difficult challenges confronting the region. His death is a blow to Pakistan’s fragile democracy and a chilling reminder of the dangers journalists continue to face in Pakistan. I hope that the Pakistani government’s investigation into his murder will be as thorough as possible to hold those responsible accountable and deter another crime against members of the press,” Kerry said in the statement.
