QUETTA: Journalists covering the assembly session on Monday boycotted the proceedings to protest against the lockdown of Quetta Press Club (QPC) and the entry of police into the premises on Saturday to stop a seminar of the Baloch Yakjahti Committee (BYC).

The decision to boycott was made in a joint meeting of the executive committees of QPC and the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ).

A large number of journalists, led by BUJ president Khalil Ahmed and QPC president Abdul Khaliq Rind, walked out of the press gallery soon after the assembly session started and gathered in front of the hall.

They were carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands and chanted slogans against the police and local administration for locking down the press club.

The BUJ and QPC leaders, while speaking on the occasion, strongly condemned the local administration’s action at the QPC and termed it a violation of the freedom of expression and press freedom, and a gross violation of Article 19.

Meanwhile, a delegation of assembly members, including Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Rehmat Baloch and Mir Zabit Reki, met the protesting journalists and expressed solidarity with them, supporting their demands.

Later, a delegation from QPC and BUJ met Chief Minister Sarfarz Bugti and presented him with the demands. The CM assured the delegation that the incident would be investigated.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024