IG Islamabad launches probe into storming of National Press Club | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- Islamabad Police stormed the National Press Club (NPC) on Thursday, resulting in violence against journalists and property damage.
- Minister of State Talal Chaudhry and Islamabad IGP Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi have assured the media that an investigation into the police actions is underway.
- The IGP stated an inquiry team will review CCTV footage to get to the bottom of who authorized the use of violence.
- Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi took notice of the attack and sought a detailed report, calling the incident unacceptable.
- Journalists and unions, including the PFUJ, strongly condemned the attack as an assault on press freedom and demanded strict action against responsible personnel.
Islamabad Police personnel stormed the National Press Club (NPC) on Thursday, resulting in property damage and physical assaults on several journalists, which sparked widespread condemnation. In response, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Islamabad IGP Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi separately assured the media on Friday that a thorough investigation, including reviewing CCTV footage, has been launched into the unauthorized police action. Chaudhry emphasized that the government did not sanction the police barging into the club, though he denied the incident was related to restricting freedom of expression, asserting that democracy requires a free press. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also demanded a detailed report, labeling the violence against journalists as unacceptable. Journalists, supported by political and social organizations, staged protests demanding strict action, while the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the event as a direct assault on press freedom.
