Pakistani journalist known for criticising Army, ISI hacked to death in Islamabad

A 22-year-old Pakistani blogger and journalist known for criticising the country's powerful military and the spy agency ISI was hacked to death by an unidentified man in Islamabad, police said on Monday. Muhammad Bilal Khan, having over 16,000 followers on Twitter, 48,000 on his YouTube channel and 22,000 on Facebook, was with a friend when he received a phone call after which a man took him to the nearby forest on Sunday night, Dawn news quoted police as saying.

The suspect used a dagger to kill him, Superintendent of Police (SP) Saddar Malik Naeem said, adding that some people heard gunshot firing as well. Khan's friend was seriously injured in the incident.

Apart from being a social media activist, Khan was also a freelance journalist. Soon after his killing, #Justice4MuhammadBilalKhan started trending on social media. Several Twitter users said that his criticism of the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) led to his killing.

"Pakistani activist and journalist Mohammad Bilal Khan was shot dead last night in Islamabad. Khan was known for his criticism of the all-powerful military and its notorious spy agency," a man said in a tweet. The deceased's father Abdullah said that his body had marks of a sharp tool. "My son's only fault was that he spoke about the Prophet," he said.

A case was registered under various sections including the Anti Terrorism Act. The incident has created fear among people, Khan's father said.