The News senior reporter Noorani severely hurt in attack

ISLAMABAD: In a brazen daylight attack here on Friday, unknown assailants armed with steel rods, knives and iron-fists attacked Ahmad Noorani, a senior journalist associated with The News Investigation Cell, leaving him severely wounded with head injuries.

Noorani was coming home from a bank located in Saddar, Rawalpindi, when his Suzuki Mehran car was intercepted at Zero Point by six attackers riding three separate motorcycles.

Noorani’s driver tried to speed up the car but the highly-trained attackers surrounded the car and managed to stop it.

One of the attackers snatched the car keys from the driver and attacked him with knife while four others dragged Noorani out of the car and started beating him with clubs and iron fists.

The assailants consistently targeted Noorani’s head, hitting with steel rods and metallic motorcycle locks.

One of the  attackers took out the knife and tried to attack Noorani with it but his driver stopped the blow with his hand, getting his hand injured.

Meanwhile, two of the attackers kept his driver at bay while others severely tortured Noorani to the shock of onlookers at the busy Khayaban-e-Suhrawardi Road near Urdu University, Islamabad. However, no one came to the rescue of the victims.

The attackers smartly managed to dodge safe-city cameras by riding through corners of the roads at the points where Cameras were installed. 

Noorani and the driver were later taken to Federal Government Services Hospital by fellow journalists who rushed to the scene.

Doctors shifted Noorani to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) where a Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan was conducted to know the level of head injuries.

A resident neuro surgeon Dr Mubashir told The News that a linear fracture was found in the left temporal region alongwith little bleeding due to fracture.

According to the surgeon there is a suspicion of invasion of bacteria within the brain. The patient is kept under observation for 24 hours to rule out any complication due to head injury.

A second CT Scan was scheduled for Friday night. The doctors found multiple lesirations on his head. 

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but the Capital police have registered the First Investigation Report (FIR) on the complaint of driver Mumtaz under section 324/341 and 148/149 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Police also visited the crime scene to collect evidence and record statements of eye-witnesses.  

But this is not the first time Ahmad Noorani has been attacked. Earlier this year, several unknown men showed up at his residence in G-6/2 in the middle of night and tried to drag him out of the house.

However, on resistance from members of his family the attackers fled the scene.

The police managed to track the car involved in the Ramazan attack but it was bearing a fake number while the identity of the car driver could not be ascertained.

Three years ago his car was attacked with stones. 

A few days ago the outspoken journalist deactivated his Twitter account.   Neither The News Investigation Cell knows the reason for the attack nor it points finger at anyone.

However, it is expected that the government, police and agencies will thoroughly probe the case and bring the attackers to justice. 

World media highlighted the report about attack on Noorani and reported condemnation by various international journalists associations.