US condemns attack on prominent Pakistani journalist

The US urged Pakistan's government to track down the gunmen who shot a prominent journalist in Karachi. "The United States condemns the vicious attack on television journalist Hamid Mir ... the latest in a series of worrisome attacks on journalists in Pakistan," said State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki in a statement. "Attacks like these should be a wake-up call to all who value democracy," she added, in the statement made on Saturday. Mir was shot three times in his car as he was leaving the airport, but was reportedly in stable condition. There have been previous attempts on his life, including a car bomb, said to have been planted by the Taliban, that failed to detonate in 2012. This time, however, his brother has accused Pakistani intelligence of trying to kill him. "Freedom of the press, including ensuring that journalists can safely carry out their vital mission, is of paramount importance to freedom of expression and to the healthy functioning of any democracy," Psaki stressed. "[We] urge the Government of Pakistan to bring all those responsible for these attacks on the media to justice," she concluded.