KARACHI: Violent protesters set a police mobile on fire and threatened a reporter of ARY News in Karachi’s Saddar area on Monday, killing one person and injuring many others.
Seemin Jamali, head of Emergency ward at Jinnah Hospital, said, “At least one person was brought dead (to JPMC) while several others were injured.” The ARY office is located in a busy part of the city above the popular Zainab Market. ARY News has alleged that the protesters are members of MuttahidaQaumi Movement (MQM). The TV channel reported that the protesters entered the building of ARY News and attacked the staff. According to ARY news, Armed workers of the political party started abusing and torturing channel workers, stole and damaged property in the incident which continued for an hour.
Marketing section of the channel suffered the most as violent party workers entered the section and started damaging work equipment and furniture. Hundreds of ARY News workers including women were held hostage for about an hour with no help from police, Rangers or any other law enforcement agency. MQM workers also resorted to aerial firing around the office and burnt cars and motorcycles belonging to ARY News’ employees.
Four people, including a policeman, were wounded during firing. Demonstrators also tried to burn SAMAA’s DSNG, leaving a cameraman wounded
It is pertinent to mention here that ARY News’ Saddar office is located within city’s Red Zone. The development came in wake of the party staging a hunger strike at the Karachi Press Club [just a few steps away from the ARY News office] against what it terms as injustices against the party, extrajudicial killings and arrests of its workers and political victimisation.
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