Karachi: Following a grenade attack at the office of a private television channel in Islamabad, Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali issued directives on Thursday to ensure extraordinary security measures for the protection of offices of electronic and print media outlets, their staff and journalists.

According to a statement issued by the Sindh Police, the IGP has issued directives to ensure security for journalists, cameramen, photographers and other media workers in the province. He instructed that police mobiles and motorcycles should enhance patrolling in the areas where media houses are located. The IGP said security should be maintained to protect the lives of citizens and a report should be submitted on daily basis.

Safety of journalists remains a concern in Karachi as several attacks were witnessed over the past year as well. These included a two-day spree in September that claimed the life of a Geo News satellite engineer when one of the channel’s DSNG vans came under attack in Bahadurabad. The van driver had also suffered injuries in the attack.

A day later, a senior journalist, Aftab Alam, was fatally targeted in the city, and later that same month, another TV channel’s DSNG van was attacked, though no injuries were reported.

The News

A receptionist of a television news channel and two police constables were injured on December 1, in an attack by hand grenade on the office of Din News in Lahore, the capital city of Punjab province in Pakistan.

The attacker on a motorcycle hurled hand grenade at the office of television channel along with pamphlets claiming responsibility of the attack by ISIS – Khorasan Group (Daulat-i-Islamia Khorasan) and warning that such attacks would continue if the media houses did not end helping the government of Pakistan and the army which were not implementing Islam and Sharia in the country

This was the same group that on November 20, attacked with a hand grenade at the bureau office of Dunya News television channel causing injury to two employees, in Faisalabad, in Punjab province. The group had then also warned media houses about further attacks.

The injured were shifted to a hospital and are in stable condition. The blast damaged vehicles parked at the office, shattered windowpanes and also created panic in the locality.

Police started investigation into incident. Punjab Inspector General of Police, Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera ordered the police in Lahore to increase the security of media houses in view of serious security threats by militants.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Pakistan Broadcasters Association condemned the attack and demanded the authorities to immediately arrest the attacker.

Pakistan Press Foundation

LAHORE: Unidentified attackers hurled a hand grenade on the Lahore office of a local television channel DIN News on Tuesday evening, injuring four people.

According to initial reports, two policemen and a channel staffer was injured in the grenade attack.

Police constables Ejaz and Nazir suffered injuries in the attack, details revealed.

The attackers also threw pamphlets containing threats from ‘Daulat-i-Islamia’ (Islamic State group).

Last month, a similar attack outside another news channel, Dunya News’ Faisalabad bureau had left three of the channel’s employees injured.

The attackers had also thrown pamphlets containing threats from a certain ‘Daulat-i-Islamia Khorasan’ (Islamic State- Khorasan group) claiming responsibility for the attack.

While on Friday, unidentified gunmen had attacked a DawnNews Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) van in the Essa Nagri area of Karachi, leaving one staffer injured.

Attackers riding motorcycles fired straight shots at the DSNG van near Essa Nagri, leaving technician Hassan Mateen severely injured. Mateen was taken to a private hospital for treatment.

The attack was widely condemned by all sections of society and journalist organisations had announced protests.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had condemned the attack in strong words while claiming that government will bring the culprits to justice as soon as possible while Sindh governor had assured that the journalist community will be provided security at all costs.

Dawn