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Senior Pakistan journalist Hamid Mir shot at in Karachi, US condemns attack

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DC Correspondent
20 April 2014 12:39 AM IST
In November 2012, a bomb was recovered from under his car believed to have been planted by Pakistani Taliban
Senior Pakistan journalist Hamid Mir shot at in Karachi, US condemns attack
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Karachi: Senior Pakistani TV journalist Hamid Mir, who faced threats from Taliban and other terror groups, was on Saturday shot at in Karachi by four unidentified motorcycle-borne gunmen near a bridge on way to his office.
Mir, 47, sustained bullet injuries after he was shot at near Natha Khan bridge soon after he left the Karachi airport for his office, initial reports here said. GeoTV reported that Mir, who has security guards with him, called up office to inform them of the attack on him.
He was rushed to a hospital in a private car. Four gunmen riding two motorcycles opened fire on Mir's car about six kilometers from the airport, GeoTV said.
Dawn reported that the gunmen opened fire at the vehicle at 5:30 pm and Mir was admitted to hospital in a state of unconsciousness. Geo News Islamabad bureau chief, Rana Jawad said Mir told him after being attacked that the gunmen were following him and continued to fire at the car.
A popular news anchor, terrorism expert, and security analyst, Mir currently hosts political talk show Capital Talk on Geo TV. In November 2012, a bomb was recovered from under his car which was believed to have been planted by the Pakistani Taliban.
Just last month, senior analyst Raza Rumi was shot at in Lahore that killed his driver. The issue of security of media personnel was raised by Committee to Protect Journalists, a media advocacy group, during a meeting with prime minister Nawaz Sharif last month.
The prime minister had promised to take appropriate steps to ensure security of journalists in Pakistan.
Earlier on March 29, another Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi, a highly vocal critic of the Taliban was attacked, leaving his driver dead. Rumi raised concerns over the attacks on journalists in his tweet.
Meanwhile, US has condemned the attack and urged Islamabad to bring those responsible for the attacks on the media to justice.

"The United States condemns the vicious attack on television journalist Hamid Mir in Karachi on Saturday, the latest in a series of worrisome attacks on journalists in Pakistan," the State Department Spokesperson, Jen Psaki said on Saturday.

"Freedom of the press, including ensuring that journalists can safely carry out their vital mission, is of paramount importance to freedom of expression and to the healthy functioning of any democracy," she said.

As the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson has said that attacks like these should be a wake-up call to all who value democracy in Pakistan, she said. "We wish Hamid Mir a speedy recovery, and urge the government of Pakistan to bring all those responsible for these attacks on the media to justice," Psaki said.

In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that it is alarmed by the continuing violence directed at journalists in Pakistan.

"The attack on Hamid Mir is an indicator that the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not been able to reverse the country's appalling record of violence against journalists, despite pledges to do so," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator.

"Full prosecution of the perpetrators of such crimes is the only answer to reversing this history. Police must act swiftly and decisively in this and all cases that have been building up for years in Pakistan. And the country's media must use their capabilities to pursue their own investigations, as well as pressure the government to take action," Dietz said.
( Source : PTI )
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