KARACHI: A Dawn News\u2019 digital satellite news gathering (DSNG) van came under armed attack near Essa Nagri on Friday night, which left its engineer injured in a second such assault on media in the city in less than three months.<\/p>\n
In September, an attack on Geo News van killed its engineer while the driver suffered bullet injuries.<\/p>\n
Officials were not sure about the motive behind the firing, but they believed it was a deliberate attack when armed riders fired shots at the DSNG moving with its staff for a routine work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWitnesses said that armed men on a motorbike fired shots at the DSNG van,\u201d said DIG East Munir Sheikh.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour shots were fired at the van and one of them hit a man sitting inside.<\/p>\n
He has been identified as DSNG engineer Muhammad Hassan, who has been moved to a private hospital for treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fresh attack came as a grim reminder of an episode in September when an attack claimed life of Geo News satellite engineer Syed Arshad Jaffery and left the driver injured.<\/p>\n
In January 2014 three employees of the Express News channel were shot dead in North Nazimabad in an attack claimed by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.<\/p>\n
The media fraternity reacted strongly to the attack on DawnNews van vehicle, calling it an attempt to harass and suppress the spirit of free media.<\/p>\n
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and the Karachi Union of Journalists called for thorough and transparent investigations into the incident.<\/p>\n
The DawnNews management said there was no prior threat from any group or any warning from law enforcement agencies, but that the attack would definitely cause harassment among media workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice have to determine what motive was behind the attack,\u201d said Zahid Mazhar, Director of News and Head of Current Affairs of DawnNews.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now we can only demand a police investigation into the incident to determine the motive behind the attack and arrest of those people who have done it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe closure of the case without any result will fan speculations and cause fear among media workers.\u201d<\/p>\n