KARACHI, Pakistan: At least one person was killed while six persons including policemen sustained injuries as activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) went on rampage near Zainab Market in Saddar area of Karachi on Monday, the police said.
The MQM activists also torched a police van, a rickshaw and a motorcycle.
According to the IG Sindh Police office said that the MQM workers pelted stones at policemen and a ARY News’ Office located near Zainab Market. They also indulged in aerial firing.
The police said four injured persons were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Two of them had received gunshot wounds and the other two sustained injuries due to broken glasses.
Constable Qamar Zaman with head injury was shifted to Civil Hospital while Station House Officer Saddar Peer Shabir Haider was also injured by a stone.
The police resorted to use teargas for dispersing the crowd.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on ARY and SAMAA television channels offices in Karachi
“It is an attack on freedom of press and expression,” the Prime Minister said, according to a statement issued from the PM’s Office.
The prime minister directed the authorities concerned at the federal and provincial levels to bring the culprits to task on immediate basis.
While directing the authorities concerned to ensure safety and security of the civilians in general and journalists in particular, he also sought a report on the incident.
The Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rasheed also strongly condemned attacks on media houses in Karachi.
In a statement, he said that the present democratic government believes in freedom of expression and would never tolerate any attack on independence of media.
The minister said that attacking any news channel tantamount to attack on freedom of media and people’s right to be informed, which was a pre-requisite for any democratic society, he added.
Pervaiz Rasheed said that the Sindh government must take an immediate cognizance of the incident to ensure the safety and security of media persons and houses.
