Rome, Dec 4 (IANS/AKI): Italy's lower house of parliament speaker Roberto Fico has said the truth must emerge over the unsolved 2011 murder of Pakistani investigative reporter Saleem Shahzad, whom he called "a brave journalist".

"Had he lived, Saleem Shahzad would be turning 48, but the truth about his death has never been established," Fico told Adnkronos International (AKI).

"The circumstances surrounding the murder of such a brave journalist as Saleem must undoubtedly be clarified," Fico stated.

Shahzad vanished in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on May 29, 2011 on his way to take part in a TV show. His body was found two days later in a canal near the town of Mandi Bahauddin, about 120 km south of Islamabad, bearing signs of severe torture.

Shahzad, a father of three, worked as a correspondent for AKI and was Pakistan Bureau Chief of Asia Times Online. Prior to his killing he had written about alleged links between al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Navy.

A government-appointed commission of enquiry in 2012 failed to establish who was responsible for Shahzad's murder.