Quetta (Balochistan) [Pakistan], May 22 : Journalists covering the assembly session staged a boycott of the proceedings to denounce the closure of the Quetta Press Club (QPC) and the entry of police into its premises on Saturday, disrupting a seminar organized by the Baloch Yakjahti Committee (BYC), Dawn reported.
The joint decision to boycott was reached during a meeting of the executive committees of QPC and the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ).
Led by BUJ president Khalil Ahmed and QPC president Abdul Khaliq Rind, a significant number of journalists exited the press gallery as the assembly session commenced, congregating outside the hall with placards and banners bearing their demands, as reported by Dawn.
They vocally condemned the actions of the police and local administration in sealing the press club.
Speaking during the protest, BUJ and QPC leaders vehemently criticized the authorities' intervention at QPC, labelling it a blatant infringement on freedom of expression and press freedom, and a violation of Article 19.
In a display of solidarity, a delegation of assembly members, including Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Rehmat Baloch, and Mir Zabit Reki, met with the protesting journalists, affirming their support for the cause.
Subsequently, representatives from QPC and BUJ held discussions with Chief Minister Sarfarz Bugti, presenting their demands. The CM assured the delegation of a thorough investigation into the incident, Dawn reported.
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