ISLAMABAD, June 17: Political leaders have condemned the murder of a tribal areas’ journalist, Hayatullah Khan, and sought a thorough probe into the matter and arrest of the culprits.

The journalist had been missing for the past seven months. In a statement received here on Saturday, PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto said she was shocked and grieved to learn about the murder of a young and promising journalist at the hands of unknown assailants.

“Only an impartial and judicial probe can reveal the blood- stained hands behind the crime,” she observed.

Ms Bhutto said the murder was a serious blow to the freedom of the press and enterprising investigative journalists, who had apparently been sent a strong warning.

She also prayed for eternal peace for the soul of Hayatullah Khan and solace to the members of the bereaved family.

In his statement, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed termed the incident “state-terrorism”. “There is ample evidence to show that he (Hayatullah) was in custody of some intelligence agency,” he said.

He said it was reported that the journalist was hand-cuffed and the shackles were similar to those used by government agencies.

The senator sought an independent analysis of the bullets found in the victim’s body to ascertain the source of the ammunition.