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 men here, police said on Monday.
Superintendent of Police Saddar Malik Naeem said Khan was attacked in the G-9/4 area of Islamabad and was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His uncle was severely injured and has been hospitalised, he said.
The suspect used a dagger to kill him, Naeem said, adding that some people heard gunshot firing as well.
Apart from being a social media activist, Khan was also a freelance journalist.
He hailed from Gilgit-Baltistan and was a Shariah graduate from the International Islamic University of Islamabad (IIUI), according to Express News.
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.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)