Prominent Pakistani journalist shot

Police in Pakistan say gunmen have shot a famous television talk show host amid a wave of attacks on journalists in the country.

Hamid Mir, a host on the private television broadcaster Geo, was wounded in the attack Saturday near Karachi’s airport, as he was travelling to the office of his employer.
Senior police officer Pir Mohammad Shah said a single gunman first opened fire on Mir’s car, followed by others who chased him on motorcycles.
Karachi police chief Shahid Hayat told Geo that Mir suffered three gunshot wounds to the stomach and the upper legs. He was said to be out of danger.
Last year, authorities found a bomb under Mir’s car. Security teams were able to dismantle the device and there were no casualties.
This was the second attack on a journalist in under a month. In March, Raza Rumi, another prominent was targeted by gunmen who killed his driver.
Al Jazeera’s Asad Hashim said that while targeted attacks had become common in Karachi, they were “rarely conducted against such high profile targets as Mir”.
He added that after the attack on Rumi, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had promised government protection to journalists but this had led to “little or no concrete actions on the ground”.
Pakistan is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists and The Committee to Protect Journalists recently urged Pakistan’s government to do more to protect journalists.

Source: Al Jazeera