Security heightened around media offices

Karachi

Following a grenade attack at the office of a private television channel in Islamabad, Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali issued directives on Thursday to ensure extraordinary security measures for the protection of offices of electronic and print media outlets, their staff and journalists.

According to a statement issued by the Sindh Police, the IGP has issued directives to ensure security for journalists, cameramen, photographers and other media workers in the province. He instructed that police mobiles and motorcycles should enhance patrolling in the areas where media houses are located. The IGP said security should be maintained to protect the lives of citizens and a report should be submitted on daily basis.

Safety of journalists remains a concern in Karachi as several attacks were witnessed over the past year as well. These included a two-day spree in September that claimed the life of a Geo News satellite engineer when one of the channel's DSNG vans came under attack in Bahadurabad. The van driver had also suffered injuries in the attack. 

A day later, a senior journalist, Aftab Alam, was fatally targeted in the city, and later that same month, another TV channel's DSNG van was attacked, though no injuries were reported.