Assault on Ahmad Noorani an attack on press freedom: Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, while condemning the attack on journalist Ahmad Noorani, remarked that the attack on the journalist is an attack on the freedom of press.

While speaking in National Assembly session on Thursday, the interior minister said the case’s investigation is being reviewed on daily basis.

“Those responsible for the cowardly attack will be arrested soon,” he added.

Noorani was assaulted on the federal capital's Khayabane Suharwardy road on October 27, when his car was stopped by three men travelling on a motorcycle near Zero Point Interchange while he was on his way home in Islamabad from Rawalpindi.

Police release sketches of Ahmad Noorani attack suspects

Pictures of six suspects, extracted from CCTV footage obtained from Safe City Project, have also been sent to NADRA for identification

The three men got down from their unmarked motorcycle after chasing down Noorani's car while another three, who were standing where the car was stopped with another unmarked motorcycle, joined in and severely beat up Noorani and his driver with iron rods after throwing out the keys from the ignition.

The attackers sped away on the two bikes, with no licence plates, towards Zero Point after onlookers began gathering at the site and traffic started coming to a halt on the busy road.

PPP stages protest

While presenting his stance before the assembly, Opposition leader Khursheed Shah said that “technocrats don’t do much but show as if they have done a lot.”

Addressing government representatives, he asked: "Please tell us from which taxes are the motorways being built? The motorways are being built from loans." 

He remarked: "The government should also tell us what have they done in the health sector. Women are giving birth on the roads in Lahore." 

"You are only working in areas where you can make money. You are unwilling to supply electricity to smaller provinces," he alleged. 

Putting for a motion, Shah said that we want a five percent decrease in sales tax on petrol, adding they also want an eight percent decrease in sales tax on diesel.

Following this, Pakistan Peoples Party members staged a protest against the increase in petrol prices and chanted slogans of ‘shame, shame’.

Replying to Shah, Iqbal challenged him to review the performance of the government.

Speaking about taxes, Iqbal said that the government has not imposed any new taxes. “We have continued the taxes which were imposed during the tenure of PPP [Pakistan Peoples Party],” he remarked.

“The government has always tried its best to provide relief to people,” he added. In the entire region, Pakistan has the lowest prices. Today, the level of investment in the country has set a new record, he said.

Credit should be given to the government for including Thar Coal power project into China Pakistan Economic Corridor, he added.