Senior columnist Ayaz Amir thrashed in Lahore

PM Shehbaz, CM Hamza, Imran Khan condemn attack in ‘strongest terms’

Some unidentified men on Friday severally thrashed senior journalist and columnist Ayaz Amir.

Amir was leaving the office of a private TV channel located at Lahore’s Abbott Road when unidentified men attacked him. The assailants also snatched his wallet and mobile phone.

Unidentified assailants attacked, slapped, tore clothes, and snatched their mobile phones, he wrote in a Twitter post. As soon as the incident was reported, a Punjab police spokesperson said that the inspector-general summoned a report of the incident from the capital city police officer.

The IG directed the CCPO to utilise the safe city cameras to identify the culprits and ensure their arrest.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz have taken notice of the attack.

CM Hamza sought a report from the police chief and directed the law enforcers to ensure the early arrest of the culprits. “The accused should be brought to book and further action should be taken. The incident of violence against Ayaz Amir is reprehensible,” he was quoted as saying in the official statement.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan condemned the attack in “strongest terms” in a statement released on Twitter.

“Pakistan [is] descending into the worst kind of fascism with violence and fake FIRs against journalists, opposition politicians, and citizens. When the state loses all moral authority it resorts to violence,” claimed the ex-premier. Senior journalists Mujibur Rahman Shami, Mazhar Abbas, Mubashir Zaidi; PTI’s Shahbaz Gill and Farrukh Habib; and veteran PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid condemned the attack.

Meanwhile, three cases have been registered against controversial media person Imran Riaz Khan on the complaints of three different citizens on the charge of speaking against state institutions.

The complaints said the anchor’s act was not just a major crime but a violation of the constitution as it had hurt the Pakistani people’s sentiments.

The FIRs were registered on Thursday by Gojra’s Saddar police on the complaint of Mahboob Ali Khan of Chak 363-JB, Jhang’s Kotwali police on the complaint of Suhail Iqbal of Iqbal Nagar locality of Jhang, and Jhang Saddar police on the complaint of Khalid Mahmood Malik of Soofi Mor. Containing identical text, the cases have been registered under sections 505-1 (C), 505-2,501 and 109 of PPC and sections 4, 5, 11, 16, 20 and 22 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, 2016. Another case was registered against the TV anchor by Muzaffargarh’s Chowk Sarwar Shaheed police.

Complainant Advocate Riazul Haq lodged the case under sections 109, 501-C1, 503 and 505 of PPC against Imran Riaz for speaking against the army. The case was registered under the provisions of the Anti-Electronic Crime Act and other provisions. The complaint said “Riaz’s allegations had dented the image of the army.”