Journalists in Pakistan have been permitted to carry small fire arms for self-defence said Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Wednesday. The announcement comes in the wake of the murder of journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad.
Malik also promised to probe allegations about Inter-Services Intelligence agency's involvement in his abduction. Malik's assurance came while speaking to the media after visiting Shahzad's residence in Islamabad. Malik, however, said that the journalist's murder could be a "case of personal enmity".
Ali Dayan Hasan, the human rights watch representative in Pakistan, told reporters that he suspected that Shahzad had been picked up by the ISI.
Shahzad, 40, who worked for an Italian news agency and an online news website registered in Hong Kong, went missing on Sunday. His body was found at Mandi Bahauddin in Punjab province.
Malik said Shahzad's family was not satisfied with the autopsy report and had demanded a second post-mortem.
"Though another autopsy is not possible, a medical board can be formed to carry out investigations," he said.
Pakistani journalists, like the army, are battling negative forces, Malik said. To ensure their safety, orders have been issued to allow journalists to carry small arms for self-defence, he added.
