The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) has strongly condemned the lockdown of Quetta Press Club, criticizing the provincial government for its indifference and the district administration and police for delaying action against those responsible. In response, the BUJ has decided to continue its nationwide protest movement.
The BUJ has stated that the provincial government is not serious about resolving journalists’ issues. Despite two days passing since the incident, no concrete steps have been taken beyond verbal assurances. The peaceful protest will continue until the four-point demands are fully met.
The decision to continue the protest was made during a demonstration organized by the BUJ in front of the Quetta Press Club.
The protest was attended by a large number of journalists, including BUJ President Khalil Ahmed, General Secretary Abdul Shakoor, Press Club President Abdul Khaliq Rind, General Secretary Banaras Khan, former PFUJ President Shehzada Zulfiqar, senior journalists Raza Rehman, Irfan Saeed, and Ayub Tareen.
Addressing the protesters, senior leaders from the BUJ, Quetta Press Club, and Federal Union of Journalists condemned the lockdown of Quetta Press Club and expressed their deep anger at the government’s apathy.
The speakers stated that the press club was unjustifiably locked by the police and district administration, triggering protests from the journalist community nationwide. They described the closure of Quetta Press Club, a center for freedom of expression, as a highly regrettable incident.
Reaffirming their commitment to the nationwide protest, the speakers urged the provincial government to immediately implement the charter of demands. The BUJ expressed gratitude to the PFUJ, all journalistic unions, press clubs, and journalists across the country for their solidarity, stating that the unity of journalists nationwide has strengthened their movement, for which the journalists of Balochistan remain indebted.
The speakers also strongly condemned the controversial defamation law recently passed by the Punjab Assembly, calling it a disgraceful act.
It should be noted that a few days ago, military authorities locked the gates of the Quetta Press Club and harassed participants at the entrance to prevent them from attending a conference titled “Gwadar: From Mega Projects to Mega Jail” organized by the Baloch Yakjehthi Committee. A large police contingent was stationed at the main gate of the press club; however, the participants overcame the obstacles and attended the conference.