Local journalists suspect the attack was related to a recent news article about the sale of narcotics in the city.
(PPF/IFEX) – On 19 June 2010, Raja Munir, an Abbottabad-based reporter for the Urdu daily “Nawa-i-Waqt”, was shot in the right arm when three unidentified armed persons opened fire on him in Abbottabad, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Local journalists suspect the attack was in retaliation for a news item filed by Munir about the sale of narcotics in the city.
Naveed Akram Abbasi, a reporter for the daily “Nawa-i-Waqt”, told PPF that three masked men entered Munir’s shop at 10:00 p.m. (local time) and fired at him. While the attackers escaped, people rushed into the shop and took Munir to the hospital. He was operated on 23 June and the bullet was taken out. His condition is stable.
Abbasi said that three weeks ago, Munir had filed a news item about the activities of drug peddlers in Abbottabad. Munir had informed Abbasi that he had received threats for running that news item.
Adil Abbasi, a crime reporter at the “Mashriq” daily, said that police have arrested three suspects and are interrogating them.
Mir Muhammad Awan, President of the Abbottabad Press club, and Atif Qayyum, General Secretary of the Abbottabad Union of Journalists, strongly condemned the attack. Local journalists held a protest demonstration outside the press club and urged authorities to punish the culprits.
