Geo Television anchor Hamid Mir, who had been shot in Karachi on April 19, told BBC Urdu in an interview on Saturday that he is receiving messages which ‘advise’ him to leave Pakistan or face another attack.
A firestorm had been created in the wake of a gun attack on Mir soon after he landed in Karachi when the intelligence arm of the military, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), when his brother unveiled a series of threats from the spy agency. However, Mir insisted on Saturday an “ISI within the ISI” with ties to jihadi groups were behind the April 19 gun attack.
“I am pointing towards the ‘ISI within the ISI’. I have informed my organisation in writing on numerous occasions.”
Mir added that recently in one of his live television programmes he had sought to identify a man who called himself Major Wajahat and was threatening him. “I put out his name, and cell phone number.”
“The most worrying thing is that outfits that have been banned by the government have been staging rallies in the support of ISI.”
The anchor added that he had had a history of receiving threats from all quarters, and that even after being attacked he was being passed on messages through interlocutors which ‘advised’ him to leave the country.
“From various sources I am getting different messages which tell me to leave Karachi, and even leave Pakistan… the fight is long.”
Adding that he was recovering from his injuries, Mir said that some people posed as friends but brought messages from the enemy.
“There are some people who pose as friends but bring me messages from the enemy. They bring messages that there will be another attack on you, leave Pakistan. Just yesterday, someone very responsible visited me and told me that I will be attacked again. People pose as my well-wishers and say that I should leave.”
Asked who were the enemies, Mir said they were the ones who were tracking his movement.
“My attackers are those who track the movement of Pakistani journalists, tap their phones. Only they could know from which flight, at what time will Hamid Mir reach Karachi, and which car will go to pick him, when will they exit the airport and where to attack him where CCTV cameras are not working. Even the Karachi police chief is now admitting CCTV cameras there were not working at the time”
Asked if he was convinced there were groups linked to the ‘ISI within the ISI’, and if he had named them in the FIR of the incident, Mir said that the police had refused to concern themselves beyond the incident itself.
“The police representatives who came to me were creating a drama,” he claimed adding that he gave them the same statement he had released to the media.
“I asked him exactly what you are asking me, and that I have this background of threats but they said they will remain concerned only with the incident.
“They were asking me about the incident and started to film me. I asked them why are you filming me? The officer said they were sorry.”
Mir said that he had to then stop giving the statement. “I then stopped giving them a statement since they were violating the law, that they are asking a victim details of the incident and filming him as well.”
He added that there were groups who had been banned by the government, were staging rallies in support of the ISI. “The most worrying thing is that outfits that have been banned by the government have been staging rallies in the support of ISI.”
“And those who are staging rallies against Hamid Mir and Geo/Jang group and in support of ISI, what does this tell you about their links?”
COMMENTS (19)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
This man who cannot be called a journalist should leave Pakistan. It will be a great news for Pakistanis .
I condemn the cowardly attack on Hamid Mir, really he is a good journalist. he has arranged many programs on the deprived and marginalized sections of the country, from Baluchistan to waziristan, but my appeal is that he should also portrayed the picture of Gilgit-Baltistan, what is our sin why we the Gilgit-baltistan is deprived and marginalized of the eyes of journalism. I condemn this so called & biased approach of Pakistan journalism.
@Baloch: If you could give some examples of which oppressed people Hamid Mir talked about it. Hamid talked about Ajmal Kasab saying he is a Pakistani, later proved that he was wrong. Hamid Mir said that army is throwing baloch from the helicopter without any proof. Where is the justification of killing non-baloch people in Balochistan trying to educate the Balochis in the universities and they were being killed coz they are non-Balochis. There are so many stories which I dont have time or space here to mention.
@Siddhu:
Thats right. Target killer never missed their target and they never shoot below the waist but they target the heart or head. There are more than 6000 target killer as mentioned by a target killer in an interview. They complete a job on a moderate fee. Hamid Mir has made so many enemies coz of his unpatriotic view like constantly targeting the army and ISI which can only be Pakistan enemy agenda.
@Ak:
Not intollerance but unpatriotic or anti-Pakistan sentiments spreading and working on foreign agendas. There are lot of people who speak very boldly about different issues like Sh. Rasheed, Faisal Reza Abidi and Zaid Hamid etc. and peope still tolarate.
Whoever has given you this suggestion deserve a pat from all of us because we do not want another dram like Musharraf to keep us all occupied in this sweltering Heat and No Electricity
why dont you take advice seriously ?
This attack was all drama. Hamid Mir himself orchestrated this attack and survived, just to defame ISI.
@saw: Hamid MIr is a television presenter and a social/political commentator of repute in Pakistan. If anyone disagrees with his views or analysis has every right to express his (her) opinion in the media. That is the civilized way. But using violence or rationalizing use of violence is beyond despicable. Mr Mir bears no responsibility for this savagery. It is those powerful savages that bear full responsibility. Pakistanis , collectively or individually must condemn this heinous and cowardly act.
Its all Hocus Pocus
If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity and facility to leave then be thankful to Lord Almighty and get out of town fast. But remember Truth is disliked by many everywhere.
Let's be serious here for a second. Hamid Mir's many viewpoints WERE foreign propaganda. He doesn't have a shortage of money due to that
This is the end. I have enjoyed watching his shows on YouTube. I hope he has money stashed away somewhere because Pakistan is now going to become as alien to him as it is to me.
The intolerance in Pakistan has reached the point where people with a difference of opinion are being forced to leave the country or die. Hamid Mir is not the first and will not be the last.
Take this opportunity and leave the country. Nothing is more precious than life.
Raza Rumi has already left Pakistan with his family and Hamid Mir is being asked to to do the same.