Tag: National Press Club

  • Baloch protestors call off Islamabad sit-in after a month

    Baloch protestors call off Islamabad sit-in after a month

    The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) led by Dr Mahrang Baloch, has on Tuesday called off their over 30 day-long sit-in outside the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad, Geo News has reported.

    Baloch protesters had been protesting in the federal capital since December 20, 2023, against “enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings”.
    Activist Dr Mahrang Baloch said they are returning to Balochistan from Islamabad.

    “We will hold a rally in Balochistan on January 27,” she added.

    The development comes a day after NPC Islamabad on Monday lodged a complaint with the Kohsar Police Station requesting to remove the Baloch protesters from the open park in front of the NPC.

    According to The News, the club’s administration, in its complaint, felt a security threat due to certain reasons as many political and social personalities of national stature visit the NPC to attend different functions.

    The NPC administration said that the protesters’ sit-in had been going on for over two months, causing financial loss as the people belonging to political and social sectors, avoided holding press conferences and other political and social functions at the NPC. However, it is also important to note that the security situation in Islamabad raised concerns when several educational institutes located in Islamabad reportedly were closed until further notice amid security concerns.

    Earlier this month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had ordered local authorities and police to refrain from creating any hindrance or using force to remove the Baloch marchers.

    Moreover, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had issued orders on a petition filed by a Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch, who was also among the protesting families in Islamabad, against harassment and attempts to remove marchers by force.

  • After lawyers, journalists also resort to violence after alleged rigged election

    After lawyers, journalists also resort to violence after alleged rigged election

    The National Press Club (NPC) elections were held on January 28. The group, ‘Journalist Panel’ swept the National Press Club (NPC) elections held for the year 2022 by securing all 11 executive posts.

    However, opponent panels boycotted the vote count, alleging massive vote fraud, and asked for conducting a vote count under police supervision.

    The election results turned into a violent situation at Islamabad Press Club. The winning journalist panel got into a fight with all other groups.

    All other groups argued that the election was rigged and rigging was the reason the journalists’ panel won.

    In the video, the journalist can be seen creating a ruckus and having a physical fight.

    As per reports, the video of the alleged rigging has come to the surface. It was for the first time that the votes casted were counted in the presence of police in the Islamabad Press Club.

    Apart from a large number of independent contenders, there were four panels in the contest, but the competition was between the Journalist panel and the alliance of three PFUJs and three former Presidents of the Azad Journalist Panel.

    In December 2019, a violent protest by lawyers at Lahore’s Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) occurred, during which three patients lost their lives.