KARACHI: Police on behalf of the state lodged a case on Wednesday against unidentified assailants for an armed attack on senior journalist Hamid Mir.

“The FIR has been lodged at the Airport police station under section 15 of the Pakistan Protection Ordinance [punishment of an offence, which may extend up to 10 years], 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code [attempt to commit murder], 34 of the PPC [common intention] and 427 of the PPC [damage to property],” according to the city police spokesperson.

Though the police statement did not mention invocation of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 in the case, IG Karachi Shahid Hayat Khan told Dawn that section 7 of the ATA had been invoked in the FIR.

In reply to a question, he said the state had become complainant in the case because four days had passed since the attack but Hamid Mir’s family had not yet approached the police for an FIR.