Hundreds of journalists in Islamabad and Rawalpindi staged a day of protest after the reported Press Club attack by Islamabad police, raising a black flag at the National Press Club and marching to Blue Area in a demonstration called by the PFUJ and organised by the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists.
Speakers at the rally condemned what they described as brutal violence against journalists, the forced entry into the National Press Club and damage to the NPC cafeteria. The protesters said the incident represented an assault on the sanctity of journalists’ workspace and on freedom of expression itself.
Afzal Butt, president of PFUJ, warned that the Press Club attack violated the dignity of the journalistic community and said media bodies across the country were in contact to coordinate a unified response. He said a charter of demands is under consultation and will be presented to the government to ensure no press club’s sanctity is breached again.
Tariq Ali Wark, president of the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists, described the National Press Club as a defenders’ outpost of independent reporting and said the assault cannot be tolerated. He called for stronger protections so that no institution of the press feels unsafe, including clear SOPs to prevent police entry into press clubs.
Asif Bashir Chaudhry and acting National Press Club president Ehtisham ul Haq condemned the police action as unprecedented and said consultations are under way with press club committees nationwide to prepare a robust response. NPC secretary Naeer Ali called the attack a violation of democratic norms and international journalistic principles, adding that efforts to intimidate the media will fail.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman attended the demonstration to express solidarity with the journalists, denouncing the police conduct and standing alongside the media community. The protest included a walkout by members of the press gallery in the National Assembly in solidarity with those affected.
Organisers, including M B Somro of the Pakistan Reporters Association, said the immediate demands include formal SOPs to bar unwarranted police entry into press clubs, protection for journalists at home and in the workplace, and swift accountability for those responsible for the violence. They vowed sustained action until concrete measures are delivered.
