Pakistani Taliban blames govt for rights activist murder

The Pakistani Taliban today blamed government agencies for the killing of prominent social rights activist Sabeen Mahmud, as the outlawed outfit denied its involvement in the murder.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Muhammad Khorasani, in a statement sent to media houses, categorically denied the involvement of the outlawed outfit in Mahmud's targeted killing in Karachi.
He alleged that investigation by the TTP's intelligence wing suggests government agencies are behind the killing of Mahmud, 40, which took place on Friday night.
Meanwhile, acting President Raza Rabbani described Mahmud's assassination as an attack on freedom of speech and expression, and her death as a big loss for Karachi as he gave the provincial Sindh government three days to arrest the killers.

"Nothing can justify this inhuman killing," he said, adding that the whole nation stood by Mahmud's family in this hour of great tragedy.
Rabbani also sought a detailed report from provincial authorities on the incident, directing Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to arrest the perpetrators within three days.

Mahmud was shot dead by unknown gunmen as she was returning home shortly after hosting a seminar on human rights abuses in restive Balochistan province, prompting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to order an investigation.
The military condemned the attack and that intelligence agencies had been told to provide all assistance in the investigation of the murder, a tweet by army spokesperson Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said yesterday.

Intelligence agencies were tasked to render all possible assistance to investigating agencies for the apprehension of perpetrators to bring them to justice, he said.
Mahmud's killing incident in which her mother was also injured has triggered widespread condemnation and outrage in Pakistan with some political leaders including former President Asif Ali Zardari calling the incident an attempt to silence democracy in the country.
Teenage Pakistani Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousufzai has also condemned the killing, demanding the arrest of her assailants at the earliest.
An open forum called The Second Floor (T2F) had organised a discussions on human rights abuses in Balochistan and other civil rights issues. The issue of the forced cancellation of a seminar on the same topic a few weeks ago at Lahore University of Management Sciences was also raised in the event.

The US Embassy in Islamabad also issued a statement yesterday condemning the murder.