WASHINGTON, July 8 (UPI) -- Pakistani officials have reacted angrily to a claim by U.S. Adm. Mike Mullen that Pakistan "sanctioned" the killing of journalist Saleem Shahzad in May.
Pakistani Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told the BBC Mullen's statement is "extremely irresponsible and regrettable."
Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he believes the Pakistani government ordered Shahzad's killing. Shahzad, 40, had been writing about alleged Pakistani links to Islamic militants, and their infiltration into the country's security forces.
Shahzad was kidnapped in Islamabad in May. His body was found two days later in Punjab province.
"I have not seen anything that would disabuse that report that the government knew about this," Mullen told reporters in Washington Thursday. "It was sanctioned by the government, yeah."
The Pakistani government has ordered an investigation into the reporter's death.
"Any evidence that our American friends have should be shared with that commission," said Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States.
Relations between the United States and Pakistan have been strained, especially since the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
Mullen said he couldn't specifically tie Shahzad's death to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, but he said he believes Pakistani officials were complicit in the killing.
The Pakistani spy agency has denied any involvement.
