Islamabad , Pakistan ( CNN ) -- The Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a foiled plot to assassinate a high-profile television journalist by planting a bomb on his car . Hamid Mir , a senior anchor on Geo TV 's prime time programming , escaped the attempt on his life Monday when the bomb was found attached to the back of his car and disabled before it could cause any harm . Read more : Who are the Pakistani Taliban ? `` We will continue targeting journalists who propagate a secular agenda and side with the government , '' Ihsanullah Ihsan , a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban , said by telephone Tuesday . Mir said he had gone to a busy market place in the heart of Islamabad `` to run some errands '' on Monday when the bomb was detected . A police officer in Mir 's security team saw a plastic bag containing half a kilo ( about a pound ) of explosives attached to the car and called the bomb disposal squad , which successfully defused the device , said Bin Yamin , the Islamabad police chief . Read more : Girl 's courage , Taliban 's cowardice . Despite the brush with danger , Mir remained defiant following the incident in a country that is fraught with risk for journalists . `` I want to give those responsible a message , '' he said in an interview with Geo TV . `` I want to say that as long as I have life in my body and blood in my veins I will not stop telling the truth . '' He said the assassination attempt `` is a message not just to me but to Geo TV and the entire journalist community . '' Pakistan is frequently cited by press freedom advocacy groups as being among the most deadly countries in the world from which to report . Danger can come from militant organizations -- like the Taliban , who threatened journalists for their coverage of the attack on the teenage education activist Malala Yousufzai -- and also from government agencies , the advocacy groups say . `` We have a lot of respect for journalists , however all those who are spreading negative news against us and Islam will be targeted , '' Ihsan , the Taliban spokesman , said Tuesday . The Pakistani Taliban , who are closely linked with their namesake in Afghanistan and with al Qaeda , operate in the ungoverned area that sits on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan . Police say they are investigating the assassination attempt . The Islamabad bureau chief of Geo TV , Rana Jawed , said that he thought the bomb plot had been carried out by group with expertise in such attacks . `` Somebody must have followed Mir 's car , and when he got a chance he must have attached the bomb , '' Jawed said . He said the bomb had not gone off because it was `` faulty . ''
NEW : The Pakistani Taliban say they planted the bomb . A bag containing explosives is found attached to Hamid Mir 's car . He is an anchor on the television station Geo TV 's prime time broadcast . `` I will not stop telling the truth , '' Mir says following the attempt .