The Doha International Airport employee allegedly involved in the assault on The Peninsula photographer Abdul Basit and his family at the departure terminal last week is now out on bail after having responded to a summons to show up at the Capital Police Station. He, along with Basit, is now waiting for a court date to be finalised. The alleged assailant responded to the police summons the day after the incident. After having given a medical report to police, Basit had accompanied them to the airport in order to find the man. However, he was not present at the airport at that time and the Capital Police obtained the relevant information from their airport counterparts, including the man's telephone number. The unprovoked assault on Basit and his family created shockwaves here, particularly as his pregnant wife was a target with the man aiming a walkie-talkie at her abdomen. She is eight-months pregnant. Basit's wife prevented any possible injury from occurring to herself and her unborn child by blocking the walkie-talkie with her hand resulting in scratches. The incident occurred last Friday when Basit and other family members had gone to the airport to see off a relative travelling to Australia. The alleged assailant is believed to have used foul language when Basit told him his family members were inside waiting as he had gone to park his car. When the man refused to listen, Basit informed him he was a journalist which resulted in a further volley of abuse and then the assault began with the walkie-talkie as the weapon. The Pen

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