Islamabad:
The Islamabad police staff assaulted the national press club of the capital on Thursday night, damaging the property and subjecting journalists to violence, an unprecedented measure that caused an indignation protest.
Eye witnesses reported that armed police officers suddenly entered the facilities of the press club, destroyed teams and physically attacked several journalists. They said that several media professionals were injured as a result of the assault.
After the incident, journalists organized a strong protest outside the National Press Club. The members of political and social organizations also joined the demonstration.
The protesters demanded immediate and strict measures against police staff and the officers involved to ensure that such incidents are avoided in the future.
The Federal Union of Journalists of Pakistan (PFUJ) strongly condemned the attack. The president of PFUJ, AFZAL BUTT described him as “a direct assault on freedom of the press and freedom of expression.”
He announced that all media organizations would hold joint consultations to decide a collective action course. “This must be the last incident of this type,” he said.
The main journalist leader, Arshad Ansari, also denounced the police action, describing it as an antidemocratic and an attempt to suppress freedom of expression. “Such police behavior is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he said.
After the media protest, the Federal Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi realized the attack and ordered the Islamabad Police Inspector to present a detailed report.
When qualifying the “unacceptable” incident, the minister said that violence against journalists cannot be tolerated under any circumstance.
The Minister of State of Talal Chaudhry also hastened the National Press Club, where he issued an unconditional apology for journalists. “The government meets the media. Those responsible would be taken before justice,” he said.
