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KARACHI: Pakistani journalist and anchor Imtiaz Mir was injured on Sunday night after he was shot in a targeted attack in Karachi, a senior police officer said as government officials condemned the attack and called for the culprits to be arrested. 

Mir, who hosts the show “Aaj Ki Baat With Imtiaz Mir” on Metro 1 News channel in Karachi, was shot on by two persons who were on a motorcycle Sunday night in the city’s Malir area, multiple media reports said. Police were unable to identify the shooters. 

However, media reports claimed the assailants included a man and a woman. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Qur’angi Tariq Nawaz, Mir was admitted to a nearby hospital after the attack. The police official said the journalist is currently being treated and his condition is improving. 

“It is certain that he was deliberately attacked with the intention to kill,” Nawaz told Arab News. “This was not the result of resistance to any robbery or snatching attempt.”

Nawaz said it remains unclear why Mir was targeted, adding that his driver told police that the anchor had an ongoing feud in his hometown. 

“We are investigating the case from multiple angles and are not drawing any conclusions at this time,” Nawaz said. 

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon strongly condemned the attack in a statement, saying that targeting journalists was “unacceptable.”

“The Sindh government is committed to ensuring the safety of journalists,” Memon said. “The perpetrators of the attack on Imtiaz Mir will be brought to justice as soon as possible.”

Sindh Home Minister Zia ul Hasan Lanjar took notice of the incident and ordered police to arrest the culprits. 

“Protecting the lives and property of citizens is the government’s top priority,” Lanjar said in a statement on Sunday night. 

Pakistani journalists have faced violence frequently in the past. As per a report released by the Pakistan-based media and development sector watchdog Freedom Network last year, 184 incidents of violence against journalists took place in the southern Sindh province between 2018 and 2023. These included the killings of 10 journalists.

Pakistani journalists have frequently accused the government and influential politicians of subjecting them to threats, intimidation and harassment for reporting on sensitive topics over the years. These allegations, however, have frequently been denied by officials.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Sunday called for the adoption of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods to speed up settlement of disputes, with 2.4 million cases pending in courts across the country.

The statement came at a ceremony in Islamabad on the conclusion of a six-day internationally accredited Civil and Commercial Mediation Training Programme by the International Mediation & Arbitration Center (IMAC), established by the Pakistani law ministry.

The program, led by internationally renowned experts Mr. Rahim Shamji, Ms. Sarah Tarar, and Dr. Khalid Hamid Chowdhury, trained judges of the high courts, lawyers, government officers, academicians, and business professionals from across Pakistan.

Speaking at the ceremony, Tarar noted that there is a backlog of 2.4 million cases in Pakistan’s courts, including over 300,000 in the high courts and 1.8 million in district courts, where civil disputes often take up to 15 years to conclude.

“In contrast, ADR provides resolution in an average of just 75 days,” he was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Press Information Department.

ADR refers to a method of resolving disputes outside of courts to help parties reach a voluntary, consensual agreement. Key ADR methods include mediation, where a mediator facilitates communication and settlement of disputes, and arbitration, where an arbitrator makes a binding or non-binding decision.

These methods offer advantages like lower costs, faster resolution and improved communication compared to traditional litigation.

Tarar emphasized plans to scale up mediation centers nationwide and strengthen Pakistan’s role as a credible ADR hub, according to the PID. The minister appreciated the IMAC team for not only creating widespread awareness but also training professionals across the country in mediation and arbitration.

Pakistan has introduced a number of judicial reforms in recent months and the country’s top judge, Yahya Afridi, this month said the Supreme Court was working to expand cooperation with judicial bodies in Muslim countries, including ����ֱ��’s Muslim World League, to strengthen its institutional capacity.

Speaking at the ceremony in Islamabad, Justice Shahid Waheed of Pakistan’s Supreme Court underscored mediation as a vital tool to reduce case backlogs, strengthen access to justice, and foster harmony.

He outlined Pakistan’s policy direction on ADR, including the preparation of a ‘Model Law, establishment of court-annexed mediation centers and awareness campaigns

“ADR must be institutionalized, expanded nationwide, and integrated with technology to transform Pakistan’s justice landscape,” the judge said, commending the IMAC’s role in capacity building through internationally accredited training.