A senior Pakistani journalist and political analyst has been assaulted by means of unidentified masked males, who additionally tore his garments, as he left his administrative center right here within the Punjab province, an afternoon after he termed Pakistan’s robust military generals “belongings sellers”.
Ayaz Amir, 73, was once returning house overdue Friday after recording his tv display for Dunya Information TV channel, the place he works as a senior analyst, when unknown individuals stopped his automobile. The attackers then manhandled him and likewise tortured his driving force prior to fleeing from the scene.
With bruises on his face, Amir mentioned that the masked males no longer simplest “hit him and tore his garments, in addition they took away his mobile phone and pockets. They left when other folks began accumulating at the busy street”. Footage circulating on Twitter confirmed the journalist sitting in a automobile together with his blouse torn. In a tweet later, Amir mentioned those that attacked him didn’t care about his age.
“I don’t have any non-public enmity with any individual and I had no quarrel with any individual. Whoever attacked me didn’t even care about my age,” he mentioned.
“The one fault was once that I talk the reality and I will be able to proceed to talk, God keen,” he mentioned in any other tweet.
On Thursday, all over a speech at a seminar in Islamabad at the ‘Regime Exchange and its Fallout on Pakistan’, Amir centered the robust army status quo for its function in Pakistan’s politics. The seminar was once additionally attended by means of former high minister Imran Khan. He referred to the military generals as “belongings sellers” or even urged eliminating the portraits of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the rustic’s nationwide poet Allama Iqbal and changing them with the “belongings sellers”.
In an oblique connection with Military leader Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Amir mentioned he was once into his 6th 12 months of tenure and searching for any other extension. Portions of Amir’s speech have long past viral on social media.
The robust Pakistan Military, which has dominated the coup-prone nation for greater than part of its 73-plus years of lifestyles, wields really extensive energy in issues of safety and international coverage.
Amir additionally identified in his speech the errors dedicated by means of Khan, who was once ousted from energy in April thru a no-confidence vote, all over his tenure as the rustic’s high minister particularly following the strains of the army status quo. Pakistan Top Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault on Amir and ordered Punjab Leader Minister Hamza Shehbaz to carry a high-level investigation.
“Suspects must be introduced prior to the legislation once conceivable. Journalism and coverage of reporters must be ensured,” Geo Information reported.
Punjab Leader Minister Hamza Shehbaz has sought a record from the Inspector Normal of Police over the attack of the senior journalist and ordered that the culprits be arrested on the earliest.
Reacting to the incident, ousted premier Khan tweeted, “I condemn in most powerful phrases the violence in opposition to senior journalist Ayaz Amir nowadays in Lahore. Pakistan descending into the worst more or less fascism with violence and pretend FIRs in opposition to reporters, opposition politicians, and electorate. When the state loses all ethical authority, it accommodations to violence.” Newshounds, legal professional our bodies and rights activists condemned the attack.
“Very best Court docket of Pakistan must take suo moto (cognizance) of this terrorism in opposition to probably the most revered, non-controversial media figures. Ayyaz Amir is round 73 years of age! Probably the most revered English columnists Pakistan has ever created! HRCP and Morning time and civil society will have to stand,” senior journalist Moeed Peerzada tweeted.