Hundreds of journalists from Rawalpindi and Islamabad gathered at the National Press Club to mark a black day after Islamabad police stormed the press club, beat reporters and caused damage in the NPC cafeteria. The Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists called the protest to condemn what they described as a calculated attack on the sanctity of the press club.
Participants raised a black flag at the National Press Club and marched from the press club to Blue Area in a protest rally led by PFUJ president Afzal Butt and RIUJ president Tariq Ali Wark. The demonstration drew wide participation from press club officials, union leaders and working journalists from the twin cities who demanded accountability and safeguards for press institutions.
Maulana Fazl‑ur‑Rehman arrived at the press club to show solidarity with the journalist community and strongly condemned the police action. He emphasized that journalists are peaceful citizens and that an attack on a press club is an attack on the privacy and dignity of journalists and on democratic norms. He pledged to stand with the media community against such excesses.
Speakers at the protest said the assault on the National Press Club represented a direct assault on freedom of expression and the historical role of press clubs as bulwarks of independent journalism. PFUJ and RIUJ leaders said they would consult with press club officials across Pakistan, submit a charter of demands to the government and press for standard operating procedures that would prevent future police entry into press clubs without clear protocols and oversight.
Acting National Press Club president Ehtisham ul Haq, secretary Naeer Ali and other office bearers warned that the journalist community would not tolerate any repetition of such an incident and would prepare a firm response in coordination with sister organisations nationwide. They also noted a coordinated walkout by the Press Reporters Association from the National Assembly press gallery as part of wider protests against the police action.
Journalists at the rally described the incident as a grave violation of both national law and journalistic norms, calling for impartial investigations and measures to ensure the safety of reporters and the inviolability of press institutions. The demand for clear SOPs and legal protections was reiterated as participants pledged continued unity and mobilisation until their concerns are addressed.
