Amnesty International condemns attack on ARY News' office

In a statement issued Amnesty International, the organisation said the attack on ARY News’ Islamabad office was an attack on the freedom of journalism and an act of aggression against media workers. It was also mentioned in the statement how Pakistani journalists were already suffering hardships in the form of attacks.

An attack on Pakistan’s media was an attempt to stop it from working independently. Amnesty International also urged the government of Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack and institutions responsible for Pakistan’s security institutions should ensure freedom of journalism in the country.

Also read: ARY News’ Islamabad office comes under attack

The attack, which took place on Wednesday, was claimed by Daesh Afghanistan. Armed assailants threw a grenade near the office and also fired several shots, before a security guard retaliated with gunfire. The assailants fled, dropping a pamphlet which stated the attack had taken place ‘in reaction to the channels coverage of ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb’.

Condemnations poured in from prominent Pakistanis including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Imran Khan, DG ISPR Asim Bajra and many others.