Ayaz Amir has been attacked by unknown
Highlights
- miscreants attacked senior journalist
- Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack
- “I don’t have any personal enmity with anyone”
Pakistan: Senior Pakistani journalist and political analyst Ayaz Amir was attacked by masked miscreants in Lahore on Friday night and his clothes were also torn. The incident comes after he had called Pakistan’s military generals “property dealers” a day earlier. Aamir, 73, was returning home after the telecast of his TV show on ‘Duniya News’ when unidentified persons stopped him. He claimed that he was dragged out of the car and assaulted. The attackers also beat up their driver.
“I told the truth and I will keep telling the truth”
Aamir has got scratches on his face and he alleged that masked miscreants not only attacked him but also tore his clothes and snatched his mobile phone and purse. The attackers escaped after people gathered on a congested street. Images being shared on social media showed journalists sitting in a car with their shirts torn. Aamir said, “I have no personal enmity with anyone and I have not had any quarrel with anyone. Whoever attacked me didn’t even care about my age. My only fault was that I spoke the truth and I will continue to speak the truth.
Property dealer told military generals
On Thursday, at a seminar in Islamabad on ‘Change of Power and its Impact on Pakistan’, Amir had hit out at the powerful military establishment over its role in Pakistan’s politics. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also attended the seminar. He had described military generals as “property dealers” and suggested replacing the photographs of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Alam Iqbal with “property dealers”. Excerpts from Aamir’s speech went viral on social media.
Pakistan PM orders Punjab CM to conduct investigation
Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack on Amir and ordered a high-level inquiry to be conducted by Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz has sought a report from the Inspector General of Police on the attack on the senior journalist and ordered the arrest of the culprits at the earliest. Reacting to the incident, Imran Khan tweeted, “I strongly condemn the violence against senior journalist Ayaz Amir in Lahore.” Journalists, lawyers’ unions and human rights activists have condemned the attack.
