ISLAMABAD/LAHORE – October 4, 2025: Journalists across Pakistan have strongly condemned the recent police assault on the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad, terming it an attack on press freedom. A Joint Action Committee (JAC) has now been formed to lead nationwide protests and prepare a Charter of Demands.
The first meeting of the committee, chaired by Acting NPC President Ehtesham-ul-Haq, formally handed over chairmanship to NPC President Azhar Jatoi, with NPC Secretary Nayyar Ali appointed as secretary. The committee includes leaders of major journalist bodies, among them PFUJ President Afzal Butt, RIUJ President Tariq Virk, PFUJ Workers President Sadia Kamal, and senior members from various factions of PFUJ, RIUJ, PUJ, and PRA.
During the meeting, members shared recommendations for the Charter of Demands, which will soon be finalized and presented to the government.
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Protests in Lahore and Nationwide Outrage
Earlier in the day, journalists in Lahore hoisted black flags at the Press Club during a protest called by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ). Demonstrators demanded the registration of a case against senior police officials involved in the Islamabad incident and called for a judicial inquiry.
Leaders including PFUJ Secretary General Arshad Ansari, CPNE President Kazim Khan, HRCP Co-Chairperson Muneeze Jahangir, and senior journalists from multiple unions warned that if immediate action is not taken, they would move the High Court.
Speakers also highlighted that even during dictatorship and martial law, press clubs were never attacked. They described the raid as “unprecedented, unacceptable, and a direct assault on civil liberties.”
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Call for Action
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) declared the raid a “serious attack” on freedom of expression and urged parliament to pass a resolution safeguarding journalists’ right to report and hold press conferences at press clubs.
Journalist leaders vowed to continue protests, warning that if the government fails to take action, they will stage a sit-in outside Parliament. “We are not afraid of arrests. Handcuffs are our medals,” said PFUJ Secretary General Arshad Ansari.
Civil society leaders, senior journalists, and members of multiple journalist associations joined the protests in solidarity.
The journalist community has also reiterated demands for the abolition of the PECA Act, calling it a “black law” aimed at silencing dissent.
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