TOBA TEK SINGH: The Faisalabad’s Peoples Colony police registered a case on Sunday against 15 unidentified people for attacking journalist Munawar Iqbal.

In his FIR, complainant Munawar claimed that late on Saturday, he was on his way home from the office on Satiana Road when 15 attackers, riding two cars and four motorcycles, intercepted his car and opened indiscriminate fire, leaving his car damaged.

They beat him severally, snatched Rs755,000 and told him that if he did not pay them extortion money of Rs50 million, he and his family members will be killed after two days.

He alleged that after an exchange of words with Rail Bazaar police SHO Qalab Abbas, the police officials arranged the attack.

After the attack, scores of media people blocked traffic on Satiana Road. Punjab Interior Affairs Minister Hashim Dogar visited Faisalabad on Sunday and met with 7 News channel chairman Umar Nazar Shah and Munawar and assured them that justice would be done.

He said Faisalabad RPO Dr Moin Masood and CPO Omer Saeed Malik had been told to send him reports in the case.

A press release issued by the Faisalabad information office added minister Dogar said that party chairman Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi have also expressed deep regret over the incident.

The CPO formed a four-member police officer committee to probe the incident.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2022