Pak blogger hacked to death

Islamabad, June 17

A 22-year-old Pakistani blogger and journalist known for criticising the country’s powerful military and spy agency ISI was hacked to death by unidentified men here, the police said on Monday.

Muhammad Bilal Khan, having over 16,000 followers on Twitter, 48,000 on his YouTube channel and 22,000 on Facebook, was with his uncle Ehtesham, when he received a phone call after which a man took him to a nearby forest on Sunday night, Dawn news quoted police as saying.

Superintendent of Police Saddar Malik Naeem said Khan was attacked in the G-9/4 area of Islamabad and was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His uncle was severely injured and has been hospitalised, he said.

The suspect used a dagger to kill him, Naeem said, adding that some people heard gunshot firing as well.

Apart from being a social media activist, Khan was also a freelance journalist.

He hailed from Gilgit-Baltistan and was a Shariah graduate from the International Islamic University of Islamabad (IIUI), according to Express News.

Soon after his killing, #Justice4MuhammadBilalKhan started trending on the social media.

Several Twitter users said his criticism of the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) led to his killing.

“Pakistani activist and journalist Mohammad Bilal Khan was shot dead last night in Islamabad. Khan was known for his criticism of the all-powerful military and its notorious spy agency,” a man said in a tweet.

The deceased’s father, Abdullah, said his body had marks of a sharp tool. “My son’s only fault was that he spoke about the Prophet,” he added.

A case was registered under various sections, including the Anti-Terrorism Act. The incident has created fear among people, Khan’s father said. — PTI