Photojournalist shot at, 3 hurt in anti-Charlie Hebdo protest
17 Jan 2015 11:25 PM GMT
About 400 protestors from the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami were trying to get inside the French consulate but were stopped by police, leading to a showdown with security forces which fired tear gas and bullets in the air.
A photojournalist from French news agency AFP covering the protest rally was caught in the crossfire and received severe gunshot wounds. Three other persons, including a TV cameraman, were injured by tear gas shells. The non-rubber bullet struck the photojournalist’s lung, and passed through his chest, said Dr Seemi Jamali, the medico legal officer at Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital where the journalist, Asif Hasan, has been admitted.
“The bullet has been removed and Hasan is out of immediate danger,” the doctor said. Senior police official Ghulam Thebo?alleged that Jamaat- e-Islaami activists fired and pelted stones on police when they tried to prevent them from entering the consulate area.
“The consulate is located in Bath Island which is in the red zone and the protesters were told to remain peaceful but some of them turned violent and opened fire in which the injuries took place,” he said. He said 25 protestors have been detained. However, the head of the Jamiaat-e-Tulba claimed that the activists were holding a peaceful rally but police provoked them and started indiscriminate firing.
“We were holding a peaceful rally and a three-member delegation was preparing to go inside and present a memorandum to the French consulate officials when police started firing,” Umar Saeed said in a press conference.
Thousands of religious party activists, including followers of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a wing of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba which masterminded attacks on Mumbai in 2008, on Friday observed black day and held protest after Friday prayers against the satirical magazine which republished cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, considered as un-Islamic by Muslims.
A photojournalist from French news agency AFP covering the protest rally was caught in the crossfire and received severe gunshot wounds. Three other persons, including a TV cameraman, were injured by tear gas shells. The non-rubber bullet struck the photojournalist’s lung, and passed through his chest, said Dr Seemi Jamali, the medico legal officer at Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital where the journalist, Asif Hasan, has been admitted.
“The bullet has been removed and Hasan is out of immediate danger,” the doctor said. Senior police official Ghulam Thebo?alleged that Jamaat- e-Islaami activists fired and pelted stones on police when they tried to prevent them from entering the consulate area.
“The consulate is located in Bath Island which is in the red zone and the protesters were told to remain peaceful but some of them turned violent and opened fire in which the injuries took place,” he said. He said 25 protestors have been detained. However, the head of the Jamiaat-e-Tulba claimed that the activists were holding a peaceful rally but police provoked them and started indiscriminate firing.
“We were holding a peaceful rally and a three-member delegation was preparing to go inside and present a memorandum to the French consulate officials when police started firing,” Umar Saeed said in a press conference.
Thousands of religious party activists, including followers of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a wing of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba which masterminded attacks on Mumbai in 2008, on Friday observed black day and held protest after Friday prayers against the satirical magazine which republished cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, considered as un-Islamic by Muslims.
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