Muhammad Sarwar

Incident Description: Suicide attack

On September 3, 2010, a driver for Aaj News TV channel, Muhammad Sarwar, was killed as he was hit by bullets following a suicide attack on a procession organised by the Shia Imamia Students’ Organisation in Quetta. Another media worker who died following the attack was a camera operator for Samaa TV, Ejaz Raisani. He was injured the attack and had also received two bullet wounds.

Raisani, 30, passed away on September 6. Seven other media workers were injured in the attack that killed at least 64 people and wounded over 160. The procession was organised to mark Al Quds Day to express solidarity with the Palestinians. The 'commander' of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's suicide wing, Qari Hussain, said the attacks had been carried out by Taliban suicide bombers. The blast triggered chaos and panic and the procession's participants started firing.

As a result, people fled or lay on the ground to avoid the gunfire, which injured many, including journalists. Journalists who were injured included: a reporter for Samaa TV, Noor Elahi Bugti, the bureau chief for ARY News, Mustafa Tareen, a camera operator, Aminullah Mengal, a camera operator for Express News, Shahid Mukhtar, a reporter for Express News, Irshad Mastoi, camera operator for Geo News, Imran Mukhtar, and camera operator for Dawn News, Fateh Shakir.

Angry protestors also fired gunshots at the Direct Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) vans of the TV channels Aaj News, Dunya TV, Express News and Dawn News. Balochistan's home secretary at the time, Akbar Hussain Durrani, said the organisers had been alerted to the threat. Officials with the bomb disposal squad said the device packed 15 kilograms of explosives. The impact of the blast smashed windows of a number of shops and buildings.

All shopping centres and business establishments shuttered down after an angry mob set several vehicles on fire and ransacked shops. Balochistan's then governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and chief minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani said the government would bear all expenses for treatment of injured media workers.

According to police, one person was arrested but he was later released by Quetta's Anti-Terrorism Court.