The killing of a Pakistani journalist in late May was apparently sanctioned by elements of the Islamabad government, the top-ranking US military officer claimed yesterday.
Admiral Mike Mullen said he did not have a "string of evidence" linking the death of Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad to a specific government agency.
However, he said: "I have not seen anything that would disabuse that report that the government knew about this.
"It was sanctioned by the government, yeah," he told reporters from the Pentagon Press Association in the most explicit public remarks to date on the case by a senior US official.
Mr Shahzad, who worked for Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online, disappeared from Islamabad on May 29th, and his body was found in a canal two days later bearing what police said were signs of torture.
The killing prompted intense speculation about the possible involvement of the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, one of the most powerful institutions in a country with a weak civilian government. The ISI rejected suggestions it was involved.
Pakistan today denounced as "extremely irresponsible" the comments Admiral Mullen. These are likely to place new strains on Pakistan-US ties, already seriously damaged following the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in Pakistan in May.
"If it is true, than the statement is extremely irresponsible," a Pakistani government spokesman said of the remarks in a statement. "It will not help in investigating the issue."
The government said it had set up a judicial commission to investigate Mr Shahzad's death, and that any information "at national or international level" should be shared with the commission.
"If any statement is issued other than this way, it will be considered an attempt to influence the proceeding of the commission." the spokesman said. "It seems that some elements are trying to use this issue against the elected democratic government and Pakistan."
Mr Shahzad had been investigating and writing about alleged links between the ISI and militant groups. He had reported an attack on a major navy base in the southern port of Karachi in May was carried out by al-Qaeda militants after talks failed to secure the release of two naval officials accused of having ties to militants.
The attack on the PNS Mehran base was launched after the killing of bin Laden by US forces in a secret mission in the northwestern garrison town of Abbottabad on May 2nd. A small group of militants held out for 16 hours at the base against 100 commandos and rangers at the naval base.
Reuters