ISLAMABAD / LAHORE / KARACHI: Journalist organisations and civil society held on Tuesday protest demonstrations across Pakistan against Monday’s cracker attack on Express News’ Sargodha office.

The attack had left a security guard injured and many vehicles damaged.
Addressing the demonstration in Islamabad, the Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said the ink of the pen had played an equally important role in fight against terrorism. “Media is the fourth pillar of the state and has strongly supported the Operation Zarb-e-Azb,” he said.

Rashid assured that the government would arrest all the suspects responsible.
Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah said attacks on the media were condemnable. He demanded that those involved in the attack on Express office be arrested immediately.

In Lahore the journalists protested in front of the Punjab Assembly against the frequent threats received by journalists and media houses.

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, labour unions and the civil society also participated in the demonstration. They demanded that government ensure the safety and security of media houses and journalists.

Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) organised a protest demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club. The KUJ president said the government had failed to provide security to the journalists and the media houses.

“The KUJ has asked the International Union of Journalists to press upon the Pakistani government to improve the security of the media houses,” he said. Protest demonstrations were also held in other cities.

Express Tribune

On December 7, a security guard of Express News television channel was injured when two unidentified men threw a homemade explosive device in their office in the city of Sargodha in the Punjab province.

The attackers who had come on a motorcycle, knocked on the gate and when the security opened it, they hurled the explosive device and ran away. The security guard Sher Mohammad was injured in the attack and the gate and some vehicles were also damaged. Mohammed was taken to DHQ Hospital Sargodha and given medical aid for minor injuries. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

This was the third attack on a media house in the province of Punjab. Previously, on November 20, unidentified men hurled hand grenade outside the bureau office of Dunya News in Faisalabad injuring three employees. On December 1, an employee Din News was injured in the hand grenade attack outside their office of in Lahore. In both attacks the attackers threw pamphlets of ISIS – Khorasan Group (Daulat-i-Islamia Khorasan). The group warned media houses for the future attacks.

The First Information Report (FIR) against unknown attackers was registered in Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). Police had started investigation into the incident and a joint investigation team (JIT) was formed consisting of CTD officials and police.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the attack and announced a protest sit in outside Punjab Assembly on December 8.

Pakistan Press Foundation

SARGODHA: A small home-made explosive device (cracker) was hurled at the offices of Express Media Group on Monday evening with the resulting blast injuring a security guard and damaging a number of vehicles.

At least two unidentified men riding on a motorcycle had approached the Express office on University Road at about at about 5:15pm in the evening and hurled the cracker over the closed gate before fleeing. It exploded with a loud bang and the ball bearings within injured security guard Sher Muhammad, and damaged a door, an office van and a number of parked motorcycles.

Rescue 1122 rushed to the spot soon after the explosion and took the injured guard to hospital for treatment. The bomb disposal squad was also summoned to the spot.

Shortly after the attack, DPO Sarghoda Sajjad Hassan Manj and DCO Saqib Manan visited the Express Media Group office and issued orders to depute a police detail outside the office.

A case of the attack was registered in CTD Faisalabad police station with articles relating to terrorism included in the FIR.

Advisor to the Chief Minister Rana Maqbool Ahmed and IG Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera have also demanded reports of the incident within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, a joint investigation team (JIT) consisting of officials from Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the district police has been set up under Khalid Ranjha of the CTD and DSP City Rana Ghulam Murtaza to probe the attack.

Journalist unions and organisations have condemned the attack and have announced a protest for Tuesday (today).

Express Tribune