LAHORE: Two motorcyclists opened fire at the office of a private news channel on Jail Road on Sunday evening.

No one was hurt in the incident and three empty shells were recovered from outside the office of City 42.

The channel aired a report about the incident alleging that police officials sitting in a van across the road and near the main entrance to Kinnaird College for Women remained aloof. “The attackers came on a motorcycle, parked it on the road and one of them fired shots at City 42 office. Both drove away while brandishing the pistols in the air without any resistance. Even the officials at the next door Shadman police station did not dare challenge the attackers,” went the story.

The channel administration said law-enforcement agencies had informed them of a possible attack on the office some days ago.

Representatives of journalists associations rushed to the spot to express solidarity with the employees of the news channel. Some of them raised slogans against the Punjab government and city district administration for their failure to provide security to the media houses.

Senior police officials reached the spot and said they would apprehend the suspects and assured journalists of providing security.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has announced that protest demonstrations would be staged outside press clubs all over the country on Monday (today) at 3pm to express solidarity with the news channel.

This is not the first time any media house has been attacked in Lahore. Just a few months ago two unidentified motorcyclists hurled hand grenade at Dunya News office in Faisalabad bureau and injured three employees of the channel.

In another incident, three employees including a policeman were injured when motorcyclists hurled hand grenade at the office of Din News channel in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2016