

NYT

ISLAMABAD

A prominent journalist and critic of Pakistan's military was attacked on Friday by an unidentified group of men in the capital, leaving him gravely wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the brazen, daylight attack, which sent a chill through the country's tightknit community of journalists.

The reporter, Ahmad Noorani, was well known for his critical views of Pakistan's powerful military and intelligence agencies. Noorani worked for The News, one of the country's most influential newspapers, and regularly wrote about the military's outsize influence in Pakistani politics.

As a result of his reporting, he had recently come under a series of threats.

In an effort to protect himself, this year he moved from his home in Rawalpindi to Islamabad, and this month he deactivated his Twitter account.

On Friday morning, Noorani was heading home after running an errand when his car was followed by men on motorcycles brandishing weapons, said Azaz Syed, a friend and colleague. At least six unidentified men dragged the reporter from his car, Syed said."They dragged Noorani out of the vehicle and beat him with iron knuckles, knives and iron chains," Syed said.

Noorani's driver was also beaten. The attackers fled after a crowd started gathering and traffic came to a halt. Noorani was taken to a hospital where he was placed in the intensive care unit. His condition was stable, Syed said. The police said they were investigating the attack. Noorani has written extensively about a military intelligence investigation that led to the ouster of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister in July.

The military has denied any role in removing Sharif, but members of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Party have repeatedly alluded to a conspiracy. Noorani had also accused the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, an opposition political party led by Imran Khan, of financial impropriety.