By Kashif Hasan
The images came first: officers with batons raised, cameras smashed, lunch scattered in the cafeteria, voices of journalists drowned out not by argument but by force. On 2 October 2025, Islamabad Police stormed the National Press Club (NPC), assaulting journalists, vandalising property, and harassing media workers.
Eyewitnesses say that cries of “we are journalists” were ignored. Cameras and phones — the very tools of truth — were seized or destroyed. This was no ordinary clash. It was a state-permitted assault on a space meant to safeguard free expression.
The Press Club as a Battleground
The NPC is more than a building. For decades it has symbolised a sanctuary for journalism in Pakistan — a place where reporters debate, investigate, and hold power to account. That police entered it as if storming a fortress reflects a dangerous precedent.
If the state can treat a press club as a battlefield, what does that say about the status of truth in this country?
What Happened
The incident took place during protests by the Azad Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee outside the NPC.
- Police baton-charged demonstrators, some of whom fled inside the press club.
- Officers entered via the rear gates, reportedly smashing cameras, damaging furniture, and assaulting journalists.
- Even the cafeteria was not spared.
- Authorities later claimed they were pursuing protesters who had clashed with police. Government officials apologised and ordered inquiries. The Interior Minister vowed that violence against journalists would not be tolerated.
Why It Matters
Erosion of Press Freedom – When journalists are attacked, it is the public’s right to know that suffers.
Precedent of Impunity – Without accountability, state violence becomes routine.
Chilling Effect – Fear silences more voices than censorship ever could.
Distortion of Truth – Where media is muzzled, propaganda fills the vacuum.
What Must Be Done
Transparent inquiry: A credible investigation into who ordered and carried out the raid.
- Legal safeguards: Stronger protections for journalists and press clubs as inviolate spaces.
- Political will: Empty promises must give way to accountability.
- Public solidarity: Civil society must ensure this incident is neither forgotten nor repeated.
The Bottom Line
Assaulting a journalist is an assault on every citizen’s right to be informed. Cameras can be replaced, furniture repaired — but once trust in press freedom is broken, democracy itself weakens.
So the question remains: Do we want to silence truth for the comfort of lies? Or will this moment mark a turning point where society defends the very right to know?
