Islamabad - A group of unknown armed men tried to kidnap journalist Azaz Syed near Shahzad Town of Islamabad late Friday evening, but he was lucky enough to escape the attempt.

At least six armed men riding a vehicle and a motorcycle tried to stop Azaz, an investigative journalist working for GEO TV, when he was on the way to his home around 9:30pm.

Police officials at Shahzad Town police station said they were investigating the incident and had received a written complaint from the journalist. The motive of the attempt remains unclear.

Mr Azaz Syed has faced threats many times during his journalistic career. In 2010, unknown men attacked his house, locked the main gate from outside and smashed the windows of his vehicle. At that time Azaz had said he suspected a powerful spy agency to be behind the attack.

The threat to journalists in the country doesn’t stop with the unaccountable intelligence agencies. Journalists face a multilayered backlash from militants, different pressure groups, criminal gangs and political mafias.