LAHORE: Two workers of a media house were injured when its bureau office in Faisalabad came under grenade attack on Friday.
Police have already declared an extraordinary situation in Lahore in the wake of grave security threats to media houses.
The bureau chief of Dunya News in Faisalabad said that two men on a motorcycle hurled a hand-grenade at the office and fled. He said the attackers also dropped a “warning pamphlet which carried serious terror threats”.
The injured, security guard Nazar and business executive Saif, were rushed to a hospital.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif sought a report from the regional police officer of Faisalabad about the attack.
“It is the first grave threat to media houses since security agencies intercepted calls in Karachi about possible attacks on media houses in Lahore,” DIG (Operations) Dr Haider Ashraf told Dawn.
He said the telephonic conversations were about plans to target some media houses by a group of five (terrorists) who had been sent to Lahore.
In an emergent meeting on Friday, five immediate measures had been recommended by police officers to protect media workers and their work places.
“Police deployment and patrolling have been increased outside the offices of media houses and requests are being sent to their owners to reorganise their private security,” Dr Haider said.
All the known media houses were being declared “most vulnerable establishments” and a process has also been ordered for the security audit of their buildings.
The DIG said a committee, headed by a deputy superintendent of police, had been directed to initiate the process.
He said the Lahore police would call a meeting of the owners of all media houses in order to shape up a security plan.
Security has been beefed up at all entry points of the provincial capital to check movement of suspects.
Capital City Police Officer Amin Wains and other senior police officers visited offices of media houses in order to review their security arrangements.
Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2015
