I was shocked and deeply saddened by news of the murder of Raja Assad Hameed, a senior journalist of The Nation, who passed away on Thursday night. Raja Assad was personally known to me. He had exceptional qualities both as a reporter and human being. He was an excellent journalist and more importantly a thorough gentleman. I offer my sincere condolences to Raja Assad's family and friends as well as the entire staff of The Nation. The government should ensure that the perpetrators of this brutal crime are apprehended immediately. I welcome the decision to set up a joint investigation team to probe the murder. The government actions, however, should not be confined to rhetoric and the persons responsible for this crime should be brought to justice. -AFTAB AHMAD KHAN SHERPAO, Chairman, Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao), Islamabad, via e-mail, March 28.