The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the attack on the Islamabad office of the Pakistani television channel ARY News on Wednesday, January 13. The IFJ demands an immediate investigation into the attack by authorities.
According to ARY News, unidentified attackers hurled a hand grenade at the Islamabad bureau office of ARY News, on Wednesday evening, also firing gunshots injuring a non-linear editor. The assailants who were riding a motorbike, lobbed a hand grenade at the ARY News offices and fired several shots before security guards retaliated swiftly forcing the attackers to flee away. The attackers threw pamphlets claiming that the Islamic State’s Afghanistan chapter carried out the attack ‘in reaction to the channels coverage of on-going operation Zarb-e-Azb’. Zarb-e-Azb is a joint military offensive being conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant and terrorist groups.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Information Minister Pervez Rasheed and political leaders have denounced the attack and promised swift action.
In November, 2015, a similar attack took place as unidentified attackers hurled a hand grenade on the Faisalabad bureau office of Dunya News TV injuring three people. The attackers had also thrown pamphlets containing threats during the attack.
The IFJ said: “The attack on the offices of the ARY News in Pakistan is a cowardly act of terrorism; and is against the principle of free press and democracy. The IFJ condemns the attack, claimed by the ISIS’ Afghanistan chapter and urge the Pakistani government to take swift action to arrest the attackers as soon as possible.”
“The IFJ also urge the Pakistani government to provide security to media person and media houses to ensure no further attacks take place.”
