Pakistan: Protesters besiege Pak daily's office over London attack suspect's reporting

People protesting against Dawn for reporting that the London attack`s suspect was a Pakistani national on Friday again besieged the newspaper`s Islamabad bureau, the second incident in a week.

According to Dawn, around 100 people arrived in vans and gathered outside the office and chanted slogans against the media group and set copies of the newspaper on fire.

"Yet another orchestrated demo against Dawn outside its office in Islamabad," tweeted Dawn Editor Zaffar Abbas.

"Same lot, threatening tone, bigger in number and have blocked the entrance. We have informed police and have told them it's their duty to protect our staff and property. Let's hope someone from govt will intervene!!"

"They have just dispersed after burning some copies of Dawn," Abbas said.

"Everyone has a right to protest as long as they are not violent."

The International Press Institute (IPI), in a statement, condemned the "threatening demonstrations", saying, "Dawn is a bastion of independent journalism and Pakistan must guarantee the safety of its journalists."

The new protest comes hours after Pakistan's Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights directed Islamabad police to look into the siege on Monday of Dawn's Islamabad offices.

The protests against Dawn started on Monday after the newspaper reported that London Bridge attacker was of Pakistani origin.

Dawn had reported that Usman Khan who stabbed two people to death and injured three others in late November was of Pakistan origin.