Pakistani blogger known for 'criticising' Army and ISI hacked to death

He was identified as Muhammad Bilal Khan.

SP Naeem said that Khan, who was with a friend, was attacked in the G-9/4 area of the federal capital. Khan was killed while his uncle Ehtesham was severely injured. He is currently at PIMS, reported Dawn News.

According to the police official, Khan — who has over 16,000 followers on Twitter, over 48,000 on his YouTube channel and over 22,000 followers on Facebook — received a phone called to go from the Bara Kahu area in Islamabad to G-9, where a man took him into the forest, the Pakistan-based news paper reported.

A sound of firing was also heard, media reports said quoting the police.

Dawn News further reported that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Sunday night at 11pm at Karachi Company police station by the victim's father Abdullah under Section 302 (premeditated murder), 304 (proof of qatl-i-amd liable to qisas), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA).

The deceased’s father Abdullah  was quoted as saying by Dawn News that various parts of his body had marks of a sharp tool.

Twitter users criticised the murder of the blogger:

Several Twitter users claimed that it was his criticisms against Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) which may have led to his death.

Pakistan born Canadian writer, secularist and activist Tarek Fatah said: "ISI always get their man! Here is the video of @BilalKhanWriter's funeral. He was shot dead in Islamabad today hours after he mocked Pakistan's new ISI Chief Gen Faiz Hameed in a tweet."

One Imran A Raja said: "Once again sad news ! A young blood,son of soil M.bilal khan a pakistani blogger was killed in Islamabad . I dont know when govt will take these things seriously and punish them brutally ...may allah place him at higher rank in jannah Aameen #PTMKilledBilal."

Another Pakhton Khan said: "This morning, Pakistani blogger @BilalKhanWriter dared to mock Gen. Faiz Hameed, the new head of Pakistan's feared internal security agency, the #ISI. Within hours of his tweet, #BilalKhan was shot dead by persons, suspected to be ISI hitmen. #NayaPakistan. @ImranKhanPTI U Alive?."

One Khurram said: "Bilal Khan Pakistani Blogger'just tweet about New DGISI yesterday'After some hours he was shot down in islamabad
He said the ISI chief is political person etc."

Image:  Muhammad Bilal Khan Twitter page