KARACHI/ISLAMABAD (Agencies) - Prominent journalist Saleem Shahzad on Wednesday was laid to rest at his native graveyard in Karachi amid thousands of mourners. Saleem Shahzad, Bureau Chief of Asia Times Online, went missing on Sunday and his body was found from Rasool canal in Mandi Bahauddin. The 40-year-old father of three vanished after leaving his home in Islamabad to appear on a television talk show. Police said his body bore signs of torture when it was found Tuesday. The cause of death is torture and there are several signs of torture on his body and face, said Ashok Kumar, one of the doctors who carried out a post-mortem at Islamabads Pakistan Institute of Medical Science. Another doctor told AFP that Shahzads lungs and liver had been damaged, and that the body was swollen and bore more than 15 signs of having been beaten. His grief-stricken relatives demanded a full investigation but did not apportion blame for his killing, which came five years after he was briefly kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan and accused of being a spy. Saleem Shahzad wrote about terrorism and security for the Asia Times Online and other publications. He had reportedly told Human Rights Watch of threats over his reporting. He belonged to Karachi and had shifted to Islamabad one year back. The body was brought to Karachi from Islamabad on Wednesday and was received by his brother at Jinnah International Airport Karachi and then brought to his residence in Defence Phase 5. Thousands of mourners including representatives of journalist community, political and religious parties, Human Rights Organisations, people belonging to his area, relatives and people from all walks of life attended the funeral. He was buried in the graveyard of Defence Phase VII. The prominent personalities who attended the funeral included Provincial Information Minister Sarjeel Memon, Rashid Rabbani, PPP Karachi Division President Najmi Alam, Ameer JI Karachi Muhammad Hussain Mehnti and former PCB chief executive Arif Abbasi. On the occasion, PFUJ announced two-day mourning against the killing of the journalist. They demanded the government arrest the perpetrators of the heinous killing at the earliest. A PFUJ spokesman said members would organise protests nationwide on Friday. Around 100 journalist and civil society activists staged a protest in the capital Islamabad and demanded protection. Journalists and other circles across the country strongly condemned Shahzads murder.