Syed Saleem Shahzad, who was heading the Pakistan bureau of Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online and had written consistently on the Talibans, was found dead with torture marks in his body on Tuesday after he went missing on Sunday evening.
According to media reports, Shahzad, who was working with Asia Times Online for nearly ten years, was on his way to a TV show in Islamabad when he was kidnapped and later killed.
He had recently written on al-Qaeda infiltration in the Pakistani navy, said Asia Times Online.
Geo News said his body was found by the Punjab police from the Head Rasool area in Mandi-Bahauddin on Tuesday after he remained missing for 40 hours.
His while his car was found from Sarai Alamgir, about 35 km away from his body which had several injury marks.
Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari have mourned the death and ordered a probe immediately.
According to Asia Times Online, Shahzad, 40, had on several occasions been warned by officials of Pakistan’s military spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) over articles they deemed to be detrimental to Pakistan’s national interests or image.
Mourning his death, Tony Allison, the Editor of Asia Times Online, wrote: “We will bring the utmost pressure to bear on the authorities over this case. We at Asia Times Online express our deepest sympathies for Saleem’s family.”
The journalist left behind his wife, two sons aged 14 and seven and a 12-year-old daughter.