SAMAA Staff Report: (as reported by SAMAA Website)
KARACHI: News team of SAMAA TV was attacked and their vehicle was set on fire near Kati Pahari in Orangi Town on Thursday.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan directed an inquiry into the incident.
Some armed men assailed on SAMAA’s team including reporter Ghayasud Din, cameraman Faisal Agahi and driver in Orangi Town; however, they took cover and reported the incident to the SAMAA TV’s management.
SAMAA team went to Orangi Town for coverage of a sting operation by Anti-Car Lifting Cell. When they arrived in Orangi Town accompanied with five vehicles of law-enforcers, they were received with intense firing from all sides. ACLC personnel took to heel leaving the SAMAA team in lurch as soon as firing began.
All three members of SAMAA team took refuge in a house. Meanwhile, terrorists kept looking for SAMAA team from house to house. They took SAMAA vehicle to main crossing in the area and set it ablaze.
Police were called in and SAMAA team was relocated to their office under heavy police guard led by DSP Bahaud Din Babar. When the SAMAA team was being shifted, miscreants again opened fire at the vehicle. However, police soon retaliated to silence them.
It should be mentioned here that the vehicle is completely destroyed.
Karachi Union of Journalists called an emergency meeting at Karachi Press Club (KPC). Khyber Union of Journalists condemned the attack on SAMAA team. Similar protest demonstrations were also staged outside Lahore Press Club (LPC), Faisalabad Press Club (FPC), Multan Press Club (MPC), Quetta Press Club (QPC) and in Mirpur Azad Kashmir.
Several people hailing from journalist community including KPC, Karachi Union of Journalists, Karachi Union of Photographers rallied at the KPC and raised mounting slogans against the attack on SAMAA team.
Press Club Wah Taxila also joined hands in condemnation of the attack. KUJ Secretary Hasan Abbas condemned the attack. PFUJ, RFUJ and All Pakistan Journalists in Mirpur Azad Kashmir demanded the government to ensure freedom of press.
Presidents of PFUJ and RFUJ condemned the attack in strong words. Balochistan Union of Journalists also raised their voice against the attack.
Gujranwala Press Club also summoned an emergency meeting against the incident of attack on SAMAA team.
Talking to SAMAA, Sindh Information Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon condemned the attack on SAMAA team and vowed to arrest the criminals responsible for the incident.
He further said media’s voice could not be muffled or suppressed.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Senator Faisal Raza Abidi urged Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan to take serious notice of the incident. He said the government deemed it an attack on free media.
Holding the incident extremely shameful, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Faisal Sabzwari stressed on indiscriminate action against the people responsible for the incident regardless of their political affiliation.
MQM leader demanded the government to take to task those responsible for the incident.
Talking to SAMAA, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal condemned the attack and termed the incident ‘another failure’ of the government.
Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani also condemned the attack on SAMAA team in strongest terms. SAMAA