Pakistani journalist gets death threat

KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakistani journalist taking refuge in Malaysia under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is fearing for his life after receiving a death threat from Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Syed Fawad Ali Shah, 38, who has been here after fleeing Pakistan in 2011, claimed that on Friday, he received the threat via a letter posted by a courier company to his house in Bangsar.

The columnist, who has been critical of the Pakistani government in his articles which were published by news sources in Pakistan, said he believes the letter is from the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan (ISI), a government agency known to resort to unconventional ways of gathering intelligence and managing cases.

Syed Fawad, who provided copies of the letter to theSun, said the sender had warned him to return to Pakistan and it was “his last opportunity to get an emergency passport from the Pakistani High Commission”.

“If you refuse to do so then we will make a horrific example of you. Don’t forget the rest of your family is still in Pakistan. Hope you come to your senses soon,” the letter read.

Fearing for his life, he lodged a police report at the Brickfields police station on Friday urging the police to provide him with protection.

Syed Fawad said he appreciated the efforts and concern shown by Malaysian police following his police report.

He said apart from recording a detailed statement from him by an investigations officer, the Special Branch had also visited his house to gather further evidence.

Brickfields police chief ACP Zairulnizam Mohd Zainuddin@Hilmi told theSun that police had commenced investigations into the report.

Zairulnizam said Syed Fawad was advised to alert the police if he suspected there was imminent threat to his life.

Syed Fawad also said he hoped the UNHCR would send him to another country for his safety since the Pakistani government is aware of his whereabouts.