Islamabad, Oct 3 (PTI): Journalists from across Pakistan have voiced strong criticism against the federal government following a police crackdown on a press club in Islamabad, accompanied by the assault of journalists. This incident has prompted Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to order an inquiry.
On Thursday, Islamabad police stormed the National Press Club (NPC) while dispersing a protest organized by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC). Television footage captured policemen wielding batons and attacking journalists on the press club's grounds.
Dawn reported that Naqvi expressed concern over the “unfortunate” event and demanded a comprehensive report from the Islamabad inspector general of police. “Violence against the journalist community cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” he stated.
The president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Afzal Butt, held a press conference with the Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, at the NPC, as reported by Dawn.
Butt revealed that when press club officials attempted to mediate during the police raid, they were subjected to “beatings and torture.” “They even arrested two people, who were later released,” he noted. Butt announced that the PFUJ would convene an “emergency session” to formulate demands for the government, aimed at preventing future occurrences like this. “We will also decide our course of action and announce it after the meeting,” he added.
Chaudhry condemned the incident, issuing an apology. “Please consider this when you hold your meeting,” he urged, offering to meet journalists again post-meeting to discuss further.
Chaudhry's office unconditionally apologized for the incident, describing it as a sudden occurrence. “Some people from the [JKJAAC] were protesting [and] some of their people had manhandled police personnel,” read the statement. “When they tried to arrest these people, the police chased them. The police came to the Press Club to arrest the protesters who misbehaved with [officers].” An internal inquiry into the incident has been ordered by Chaudhry.
Journalist bodies later held a press conference at the NPC where Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists President Tariq Virk emphasized national unity among journalists following the NPC police raid.
He alleged that “Islamabad police personnel had not come to the press club on their own accord but were sent here.” PFUJ President Butt declared it one of Pakistan's “darkest days” and described the attack on the NPC as an assault on media freedom. A “black day” is scheduled for Saturday.
In a joint statement, the PFUJ, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors labeled the police raid at the NPC as “terrorism.” They demanded swift action against those “involved in the incident.”
Similarly, the Lahore Press Club released a statement calling on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to suspend and arrest the police personnel involved in the raid.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the incident as “regrettable” and pledged a thorough investigation. Shiraz Gardezi, a journalist with Geo News and Senior Joint Secretary of the NPC, recounted the raid.
Gardezi shared that the JKJAAC, which has been conducting demonstrations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, called for a protest at the press club. “As soon as the demonstration began, they (police) surrounded the protesters,” he recounted.
Gardezi, present at the NPC to report on the protest, mentioned that police prevented them from doing their jobs. “Because they were torturing, beating, and dragging people,” he alleged, adding that police attempted to seize mobile phones and cameras from journalists.
The incident has incited social media outrage, with journalists denouncing the assault.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the “assault on journalists by Islamabad police” via a post on X, demanding an inquiry and accountability for those responsible.
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
