30 suspects arrested over media worker’s murder

Police are said to be questioning 30 suspects, rounded up during raids in different areas of the city on Monday, over the murder of an assistant camera person of a private TV channel, Geo News reported.

The 22-year-old victim, Taimur Abbas, died at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital after he suffered a bullet wound to the neck on Sunday night when assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire at a digital satellite news gathering van of the Samaa TV channel near KDA Chowrangi on Shahrah-e-Noor Jehan.

According to police, a 9mm pistol was used in the attack and a shell was found at the crime scene.

The senior superintendent of police of the Central district said geo-fencing of the area had been carried out.

The shooting followed a cracker attack on an armoured police vehicle near Five Star Chowrangi. No casualty had occurred in that incident, however.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has extended his condolences to the family of the slain cameraman. He has condemned the firing incident as an attack on freedom of expression.

He says the federal government will extend every possible form of cooperation to the provincial government to catch the culprits.