...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
Police said the attackers opened fire on Hamid Mir's car near the airport.
The presenter for Geo TV received three bullets, but was in a stable condition, the officials added.
There have been previous attempts on the life of Mr Mir, the first journalist to interview the late Osama bin Laden
... who is now sometimes referred to as
Mister Bones...
after 9/11. Pakistain is one of the most dangerous countries for the media.
The attack has been strongly condemned by Pak politicians, including Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
Last month, Mr Sharif pledged to do more to protect journalists in Pakistain.
That's working well.
Car chase
Mr Mir had just landed in Karachi and was on his way to the studios of Geo TV, a private Pak news channel, when unidentified gunnies in a car and on cycle of violences reportedly tailed him before opening fire.
Police said he sustained three gunshot wounds, but that his life was not in danger.
In 2001, Mr Mir became the first journalist to interview Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks
Mr Mir's brother, a leading investigative journalist, has accused the country's intelligence agency, the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), of orchestrating the attack, reports the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani, in Karachi.
According to his brother, Mr Mir had recently told family and colleagues that he had received threats from the ISI because of his political views.
In 2012, the Pak Taliban tried to kill Mr Mir by planting half a kilogram (1lb) of explosives under his car outside his home in the capital, Islamabad.
But the remote-controlled bomb failed to go off.