Top Pakistani Journalist Wounded in Gun Attack

One of Pakistan's best known journalists was shot and wounded after he was ambushed in the port city of Karachi Saturday, international media reported.

Hamid Mir, a presenter for private Pakistani news channel Geo TV, was shot three times but was in stable condition, the BBC reported.

The attack took place a few miles from the airport. According to Geo News, gunmen in a car and on two motorcycles opened fire on Mir's car Saturday afternoon.

Mir's brother, investigative journalist Amir Mir, told Geo News that the anchor believed the country's Inter-Services Intelligence military spy agency planned to assassinate him due to his political views.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, as did the United States State Department.

'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,' read a statement by spokeswoman Jen Psaki. 'We wish Hamid Mir a speedy recovery, and urge the Government of Pakistan to bring all those responsible for these attacks on the media to justice.'

-Becky Bratu