Journalist looted at gun point

Islamabad: Journalist looted at gun point in broad day light

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Two gun-toting robbers snatched cash amount worth Rs. 8,00,000 from a senior journalist of Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) here on Wednesday in sector I-8/1 when he reached the parking lot of his residential flat after withdrawing money from a nearby bank.

Ishtiaq Rao, working with APP since 2007 as a journalist and covering the Prime Minister’s activities, visited Standard Chartered bank in I-8 Markaz to withdraw money for private use. He got issued a bank draft, withdrew the amount of Rs. 800,000 at left the bank around 11:30 am.

When he reached the parking lot of his residential flat in street no.4, sector I-8/1, two armed persons riding on a motorbike intercepted him and asked to hand over the amount withdrawn from the bank. They snatched the amount from the journalist and sped.

Soon after the incident, he informed the police station which is around one kilometer away from his flat. A police team visited the scene and later asked him to come to the police station for registration of First Information Report. With the help of local people and police, CCTV footages have been obtained from the vicinity of the bank and other shops while further investigation is underway into the matter.

Meanwhile, a delegation of journalists including Ishtiaq Rao also met with the Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar and informed him about the incident. The Advisor assured the journalists full cooperation and committed to direct the police for the immediate arrest of culprits.

The journalist community in Islamabad has also expressed reservations about this incident. The President of the National Press Club, Islamabad Shakeel Anjum, and it’s General Secretary Anwer Raza has demanded the police to ensure the arrest of perpetrators of this crime and provide justice to the journalist deprived of his hard-earned money.

The incident has created fear among the residents of the area who also complained of non-effective policing measures in sector I-8. The law and order situation in the I-8 sector continues to worsen and the police have no role to play, said a resident of I-8 sector. He also demanded the police to arrest the culprits and recover the looted amount.