Absar Alam shot, injured in Islamabad

Senior journalist and former PEMRA chief Absar Alam was injured in a drive-by shooting in Islamabad on Tuesday.

According to police, Alam was shot in the stomach but is in a stable condition.

Police added that the journalist was taking a walk in a park situated in the capital’s F-11 area when an unidentified man targeted him.

Later, a video of the wounded journalist travelling in a car surfaced on social media. He can be heard saying he was walking outside his home when he was “shot by someone”.

“My message to those who shot me: I will not be intimidated,” Alam adds.

The assassination attempt on Absar Alam, a leading voice for civil supremacy, raises a lot of questions. It is an attempt to silence a brave fighter by those who want to silence the voices of freedom and democracy. May Allah protect Absar Alam. Amen

— Nawaz Sharif (@NawazSharifMNS) April 20, 2021

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed, taking notice of the incident, has ordered the Inspector General of Islamabad to launch an inquiry and immediately arrest the people involved.

In his statement to the police, the senior journalist said the man who shot him was likely 27 or 28 years old.

Alam said he was walking in a park near his house where the young man was also present. “The man was carrying a pistol and shot at me,” he said.

The senior journalist said the suspect shot him on the right side of his stomach after which his friends took him to a hospital.

Silencing the voice of dissent is a cancer that has plagued this country for many years. Absar Alam Sahab is the latest victim of this cruel & barbaric crime. May Allah SWT heal his wounds and the wounds of this country. Ameen.

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 20, 2021

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry condemned the incident and said the government had directed the police to probe the matter.

The minister said as soon as further details of the incident are available, he would share them with the media.