KARACHI: Men on a motorcycle opened fire at a digital satellite news-gathering (DSNG) van of Samaa TV in Liaquatabad area on Sunday.

A cameraman, a technician and the driver of the vehicle escaped unhurt but its rear window was smashed by a bullet.

According to Karachi-West Deputy Inspector General of Police Feroze Shah, the same weapon had been used in five recent incidents of targeted killing in the city, including an attack on a shrine in Korangi and the killing of a traffic policeman in Gulbai on Sept 2.

Sharifabad police said the vehicle was attacked near Al Azam Square.

The DIG told Dawn that several shots had been fired and police found a shell of a 0.9mm pistol at the crime scene.

A pistol was also used in targeted killings of three members of the Shia community in Mominabad and Pirabad area earlier this year.

The police official said the attack on media persons appeared to be aimed at destabilising the city’s security situation.

He said he had formed a police team to identify and attackers in five days and ascertain their motive.

Dawn

The Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) van of Samaa television, a private news channel of Pakistan, was attacked by armed men in Karachi, the largest city and media center of Pakistan.

The attackers on a motorcycle fired five to six straight shots when the DSNG van. Police and paramilitary Rangers arrived at the scene and collected evidences from the site where empty bullet shells were recovered.

The rear windscreen of the van was damaged and tyre was also hit. Fortunately, cameraman Kamran Uddin and driver Saleem remained safe.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Central Muqadas Haider said there were no CCTV cameras installed nearby that could capture the footage of the attack.

Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Khan Sial directed Inspector General Sindh Police Ghulam Hyder Jamali and Additional Inspector General Karachi to submit a report on the incident and called for the immediate arrest of the culprits.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Karachi Union of Journalists, Karachi Press Club and other unions of journalists will hold protest demonstrations today (21st September) in various cities of Pakistan against attack.

This is the third attack on media only in Karachi city in September. The first attack was on Geo News DSNG van in on 8th September in which a technical engineer was killed and driver was injured. In the second attack, on 9th September, unknown armed men killed senior journalist Aftab Alam in North Karachi area.

Pakistan Press Foundation