Updated

Pakistani police have reopened an investigation into the killing of a former spy whose widow has alleged that a popular news anchor was behind his abduction.

The news anchor, Hamid Mir, has denied the allegations, saying they are aimed at silencing him.

Police officer Shafiq Ahmed on Sunday confirmed that the probe had been reopened, but said the family of the slain spy, Khalid Khawaja, has not provided any new evidence.

Khawaja and another former spy went missing in March 2010. Their bodies were found the following month, and the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the killings.

Critics have accused Mir of sympathizing with the Taliban because of his contacts with the group. Mir, who was the target of a failed Taliban bombing last year, denies supporting the group.