The Islamabad police assaulted the National Press Club on Thursday, destroying their cafeteria and, according to reports, assaulting journalists inside after confusing them with protesters.
According to the reports, the police staff carried out the raid and the media workers present within the facilities to violence.
The general secretary of the Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) of Pakistan, Arshad Ansari, strongly condemned the incident, qualifying it as “attack” against journalists.
He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate measures, added that the assault was equivalent to opening “thugs” in the Federal Capital. He demanded cases against and arrests of the officers involved.
Ansari said the incident created the impression that the press club had become a police complex instead of a space for journalists.
Separately, the Pakistan Human Rights Commission (HRCP) denounced the raid, expressing a deep concern for the use of force against journalists. In a statement, the rights agency demanded immediate investigation and responsibility for those responsible.
