Journalist escapes 'abduction bid' in Islamabad
A local broadcast journalist escaped a suspected abduction attempt in Islamabad on Friday night, according to a complaint filed with police, a day after a Pakistani journalist associated with an Iranian news agency was tortured and injured in the capital.
Aizaz Syed, a senior correspondent at Geo TV, submitted a written complaint with the Shahzad Town police station. A First Information Report was filed on the basis of the complaint and an investigation is underway.
According to his statement, Syed left his office Friday night at 9:20pm for his residence. Shortly after, he claimed to have been intercepted by a red Suzuki Mehran which halted in front of his vehicle near the Capital Development Authority Enclave.
At that point, Syed alleged that two pillion riders also appeared, one of them masked.
They all surrounded the journalist's car and asked him to step down, the complaint read, adding that two of them tried to unlock the doors of the car. One of the suspected abductors was holding a pistol, Syed claimed.
Realising the gravity of the situation, the journalist said he turned his car and sped away.
Syed told Dawn.com that he was also allegedly targeted in 2010 when unknown men attacked his house, locked the gate of his house from outside and smashed his vehicle.