Saleem Shahzad—another voice silenced

Tuesday, May 31^st, 2011, was yet another black day for journalism and free speech in Pakistan. Syed Saleem Shahzad, bureau chief of Asia Times online and a fine investigative reporter, paid the highest cost for his unwavering commitment to his profession—his life. Two days after he had been abducted from Islamabad, Saleem Shahzad was found dead near Mandi Bahauddin.

Time to clean our house

In the aftermath of the attack on PNS Mehran Naval Base in Karachi, there are conflicting reports emerging about the attack itself and the operation. Initially the media reported that up to 15 terrorists attacked the naval base simultaneously from three different sides. However, after the operation ended, Interior Minister Rehman Malik declared that the base was attacked from one vulnerable area; in a surreal scenario, four to six militants apparently used a ladder and cut barbed wires to climb over the wall near Malir tributary. The next day, police officials, citing the initial case report, said there were up to 12 militants involved in the attacks. It will take a few days to establish what exactly happened at the naval base for those 17 hours. But the implications of this attack are already clear and, unfortunately, staggering.