Prime Minister of Interior Talal Chaudhry and Islamabad IGP SYED ALI NASIR RIZVI SEPTY SEPARATE MEDIA FRIDAY FRIDE FRIDAY ON THE INVESTAINING OF THE POLICE AGAINAGE AGAINST JUDGARIES AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (NPC).
IGP Rizvi spoke with the media outside the Islamabad High Court when he was asked who empowered police to use violence against journalists.
“The query team will review CCTV recordings and get to the bottom of the case,” IGP said, assuring journalists that a probe has been launched in the incident.
Meanwhile, Chaudhry dealt with media questions in the National Assembly’s lounge. He emphasized that the government was not aboard the police who had been pressed into the press club.
Read: Islamabad Police Storm National Press Club
However, he maintained that “this incident had no connection with any limitation of freedom of expression”.
“Pakistan’s democratic and constituional system is incomplete without a free press,” he added.
Chaudhry had rushed to the National Press Club after the incident yesterday (Thursday). “The government stands with the media. Those responsible would be brought to justice,” he said.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also noted the attack and sought a detailed report from Islamabad IGP.
To denote the incident “unacceptable” the minister said that violence against journalists cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
Police Storm NPC
Staff from the Islamabad police stormed the capital’s NPC on Thursday night, injured property and vulnerable journalists for violence in an unprecedented step that triggered a scream of indignation.
Eyewitnesses said armed police officers suddenly entered the press club, vandalized equipment and physically attacked several journalists. They said a number of media professionals were injured in the assault.
Journalists staged a strong protest outside the NPC after the incident. Members of political and social organizations also joined the demonstration. Protesters demanded immediate and strict action against police staff and involved officers to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future.
The Pakistani Federal Union of Journalist’s (PFUJ) condemned strongly attacked with the organization’s president, Afzal Butt, and called it “a direct attack on freedom of press and freedom of expression”.
He announced that all media organizations would hold joint consultations to decide a collective course of action. “This must be the last such event,” he said.
