Islamabad Police Storm National Press Club, Assault Journalists

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police forcibly entered the cafeteria of the National Press Club (NPC) on Thursday and assaulted journalists after allegedly mistaking them for protesters participating in a nearby demonstration.

According to witnesses, members of the Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) were staging a protest outside the press club when police personnel stormed the premises. Officers reportedly used batons against journalists seated in the cafeteria before retreating through the back exit as NPC members rushed to intervene.

The incident sparked immediate outrage across journalistic and civil society circles.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi took notice of the incident and demanded a report from the Islamabad police chief. He ordered a departmental inquiry and vowed strict action against those responsible, stating, “Violence against journalists will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry issued an unconditional apology to the National Press Club and the media community. “Freedom of the press is our top priority. The police should not have entered the NPC premises,” he said, while maintaining that video footage showed police were pursuing JAAC protesters at the time.

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Journalists across the country condemned the raid, calling it an affront to press freedom. NPC members described the incident as an attack on the sanctity of their institution. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also denounced the assault, terming it a violation of fundamental rights and demanding accountability.

Prominent journalists, including Hamid Mir and Matiullah Jan, sharply criticised the police action, saying that authorities had “behaved like thugs” and dishonoured what is regarded as the symbolic home of journalists.

Authorities have assured an impartial investigation as journalists call for concrete measures to prevent such incidents in the future.