Senior journalist Ayaz Amir attacked, tortured in Lahore
Senior journalist and analyst Ayaz Amir was attacked and tortured by unidentified men in Lahore on Friday night.
LAHORE: Senior journalist and analyst Ayaz Amir was attacked and tortured by unidentified men in Lahore on Friday night when he left his office after recording his television show for Dunya News.
Ayaz Amir said that a man wearing a face mask emerged from the vehicle and collared my driver. Later, more men arrived there and started torturing him and then they fled after taking his mobile phone wallet when people started gathering there on the crowded road.
ایاز امیر پر حملہ کرنے والوں کو گرفتار کیا جائے، مظہر عباس کی شدید الفاظ میں مذمت #AyazAmir #DunyaNews pic.twitter.com/2DFPGQLGaA
— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) July 1, 2022
It was reported the at least six men came there and assaulted the journalist outside the Dunya News office.
دنیا ٹیو پر پروگرام ختم کرنے کے واپسی پر سینئر تجزیہ کار ایاز امیر صاحب پر نامعلوم افراد کا حملہ۔ ایاز امیر صاحب اور ڈرائیور پر تشدد۔
ایاز امیر صاحب نے بتایا کہ دفتر سے نکلتے ہی ایک کار نے ہماری گاڑی بلاک کی, 6 افراد نے تشدد کیا pic.twitter.com/ve9SaKUIke— Tariq Habib (@tariqhabib1) July 1, 2022
The attack came after Ayaz Amir launched criticism against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan during a regime change conference.
Imran Khan condemned the attack on Ayaz Amir and said, “I condemn in strongest terms the violence against senior journalist Ayaz Amir today in Lahore. Pak descending into the worst kind of fascism with violence & fake FIRs against journalists, opp politicians, citizens. When the State loses all moral authority it resorts to violence.”
I condemn in strongest terms the violence against senior journalist Ayaz Amir today in Lahore. Pak descending into the worst kind of fascism with violence & fake FIRs against journalists,opp politicians, citizens.When the State loses all moral authority it resorts to violence.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 1, 2022
Amir’s speech
Ayaz Amir slammed Imran Khan at a conference regarding Regime Change Fallout in Pakistan. Amir, without naming names, criticised the military establishment and at the same time, he blamed Imran Khan for giving an extension to a prominent military personality. Surprisingly, Imran Khan kept listening to criticism with a smile and kept smiling.
Amir said that the former premier had handed over the whole country to the property dealers. However, after experiencing the political trauma, Imran Khan is trying to be another revolutionist Che Guevara. He praised Khan for trying to be Che Guevara and said that he should get rid of property dealers and the evils like Lahore Ravi Urban Development Authority.
“We were thinking that if you come into power, then you will pay attention to these issues. However, the situation has changed now. There is no need to remember the past; we have one thing in front of us: very few options. I can favour Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) but I can’t see Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz on these key positions nor can I see Asif Ali Zardari or his son. God has given you an opportunity to fill the gap and there is no other option than you at this time.”
He advised Imran Khan to get himself out of mentioning the US and Donald Lu again and again as the next 1.5 years are very important. The developments likely to be witnessed in November will be very important. He praised Imran Khan for showing great skills of resistance against the forced regime change.
During his speech, Ayaz Amir criticised former Punjab chief minister and former Industry Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal for setting up cement factories in Punjab.
Analysts said that the property dealers have seemingly not pleased with his speech and chose to threaten the journalist by carrying out an attack on him.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the incident and ordered Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz to investigate it.
