This week’s incident saw unidentified attackers placed a bomb in the home of Jamshed Baghwan, the bureau chief of the Express News. Both the house and a car were damaged when the device exploded. The journalist and his family escaped the attack as Baghwan had seen unidentified men on a motorcycle planting the bomb. He and his wife took cover as the bomb exploded.

Police have begun an investigation into the attack but as yet no arrests have been made.

Unidentified men had previously planted a bomb at his home in March this year – that device was found and defused. A month later, masked men hurled a hand grenade at his home.

The latest attack is the fourth on a journalist associated with Express News in 2014. The TV channel has lost four staff members. In January, three employees were shot dead in Karachi when its van came under attack. In March, senior anchor Raza Rumi was attacked in Lahore and his driver was killed. In 2013, the channel’s Karachi office was attacked twice, without any casualties.

The PFUJ has expressed “anguish and pain” over the latest incident, noting the failure of authorities to protect Baghwan despite them being aware that he has been targeted twice before. The PFUJ said: “The attack has further increased the sense of insecurity among journalists as its shows that police are not taking the attacks on media seriously.”

Despite national and international campaigns, and repeated commitments from the government of Pakistan, the attacks on journalists and media continue to rise in one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists.

The IFJ said: “The deteriorating security situation for journalists in Pakistan is deeply concerning. We call for an immediate investigation into the latest attack. Pakistan’s journalists are confronted by a horrific situation: a disturbing spike in violent attacks on individual journalists as well as the ruthless targeting of specific news outlets. Decisive action must be taken to improve their security.”

“The government must heed the calls of the media community in Pakistan and take meaningful steps to ensure the safety of journalists. The government must make every effort to ensure that death threats and violent attacks on journalists and media outlets are thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.”

International Federation of Journalists

He saw men who arrived on a motorcycle planting the bomb, enabling him and his wife enough time to take cover before the bomb went off.

A bomb was planted at his home in March this year, which was defused. A month later, masked men hurled a hand grenade at his house.

It was the fourth attack this year on a journalist associated with Express News, an Urdu-language TV news channel.

In January, three employees were shot dead in Karachi in an attack on a van. In March, presenter Raza Rumi was attacked in Lahore and his driver was killed.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists accused the authorities of failing to protect Baghwan despite it having been targeted twice before. It said: “The attack has further increased the sense of insecurity among journalists as its shows that police are not taking the attacks on media seriously.”

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also condemned the attack, saying it was deeply concerned by “the deteriorating security situation for journalists in Pakistan.”

The IFJ said: Pakistan’s journalists are confronted by a horrific situation: a disturbing spike in violent attacks on individual journalists as well as the ruthless targeting of specific news outlets. Decisive action must be taken to improve their security.”

The Guardian

The assailants fled the scene. Baghwan and his wife rushed back into their home shortly before the explosion occurred, according to local reports. The explosion damaged the windows and exterior of Baghwan’s home and car. No one was injured, reports said.

Baghwan said he had not received any threats recently, according to the Tribune. Authorities launched an investigation into the attack.

Baghwan’s home was also attacked in March and April 2014. No group immediately claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, according to the Pakistan-based Freedom Network, a local media watchdog group.

Committee to Protect Journalists

Reporters Without Borders condemns today’s bombing of the home of Jamshed Baghwan, Express News TV’s bureau chief in Peshawar. It was the third attempt to target Baghwan and his family with an explosive device since March and the latest in an 11-month-old string of attacks on Express Media group personnel and installations, some of which have been claimed by the Taliban.

Left in a milk pack in front of the house by men on a motorcycle, today’s home-made bomb damaged the outside of the building but caused no injuries when it was set off by a timer at 11 am.

“We are outraged by this latest murder attempt targeting an Express News journalist and his family,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk. “We urge the authorities to react quickly and to assign security personnel to protect their home.”

“My family members and I are all safe, thank God,” Baghwan told RWB. “More than one kilogram of explosives was used in the attack. Today’s blast was bigger than the previous ones.”

Asked who he thought was behind the bombs, Baghwan said: “The enemy is unknown. I am clueless as to why these elements are targeting my house. I see no reason to believe that these attacks are unrelated to my profession.”

Although no group has claimed the bomb attacks on Baghwan’s home, the police think the same people were behind them, and that the motive may have been to put pressure on him and other journalists.

Baghwan also expressed dismay at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government’s failure to protect him. “No-one from the government side has contacted me since these bombs started going off outside my home. I’ve not been provided any security nor has the information minister expressed any solidarity with me.”

The attacks on Express News began in August 2013, when shots were fired at its headquarters in Karachi. It was the target of shots and bombs again in December. Three of its employees were shot dead in Karachi in January. And, on 28 March, shots were fired at a car carrying star programme host Raza Rumi, killing his driver and injuring his bodyguard.

Some of these attacks have been claimed by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, which said it acted to combat the negative coverage it was getting from Express News and other media.

Pakistan is ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

Reporters Without Borders

A remote-controlled explosive material was placed by the unidentified men, outside the residence of Bhagwan, and it exploded while the journalist was at home.

The Express Tribune reported that Bhagwan was leaving his house along with his wife when he saw unidentified persons on motorcycle placing a homemade bomb at the door. The bomb exploded as soon as Bhagwan and his wife ran inside their house to take cover.

There were no casualties but the main gate, window panes and car were damaged.

Earlier this year on March 19,ban improvised explosive device (IED) with two kilograms of explosives was found in front of his house which was subsequently defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad. On April 6, 2014 two masked men riding a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at the main gate of house which went off with a loud bang damaging the gate. The journalist and his family members remained unhurt.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) General Secretary Amin Yousuf, Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Nisar Mahmood strongly condemned the attack on Bhagwan’s house.

Pakistan Press Foundation

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan had claimed the responsibility for that while no one has yet claimed the responsibility for the second attack. This is the sixth attack on same media group in 2013-14.

Two masked men riding on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at the main gate of journalist’s house which went off with a loud bang damaging the main gate of the house. Journalist and his family members remained unhurt.

Pakistan federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) General Secretary Amin Yousuf, Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Nisar Mahmood, Peshawar Press Club (PPC) and Crimes and Terrorism Journalists Forum President Javed Aziz Khan condemned the attack on Baghwan and other journalists across the country. They demanded the federal and provincial governments to properly probe the threats and attacks and provide security to the media persons.

PFUJ and KhUJ staged protest demonstration today April 7 at 1 pm outside the Peshawar Press Club.

Pakistan Press Foundation