ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior Rehman Malik on Sunday announced that the case of journalist Ahmad Noorani would be taken up at the committee.

Mr Malik said this during his visit to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where the reporter is under treatment.

Mr Noorani, who works for The News, was admitted to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit after six people on motorbikes beat him up roundly on Friday.

Talking to media persons, Mr Malik said it was the responsibility of the government to ensure transparent investigation into the incident.

“However being the head of the standing committee I take the notice of the incident. We will demand the file of the incident from law enforcement agencies. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi should also take interest in the investigation into the incident,” he said.

Former interior minister visits Pims

He also asked the government to make the Hamid Mir Commission report public and if there was any “complication” at least parliament could be taken into confidence.

“Earlier journalists Matiullah Jan and Aizaz Syed have also come under attacks. Media should continue raising questions over such incidents,” he said.

Pims media coordinator Dr Waseem Khawaja said Mr Noorani was out of danger and stable.

He claimed that as chances of another attack on Mr Noorani could not be rejected so Pims and police security were on high alert.

In Sukkur, journalists held a protest in front of the local press club to protest against the attack on Mr Noorani.

The protest was led by Sukkur Union of Journalists president Jawed Memon during which participants raised slogans demanding arrest of culprits involved in the attack.

Speaking on the occasion, Jawed Memon, Saleem Sahito and Naveed Ahmed Khuhro said attacks were being made on media people to stop them from highlighting the truth while reporting.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2017