Government Delegation Holds Talks with Quetta Press Club After Police Intervention Incident
**Quetta:** A government delegation visited the Quetta Press Club to hold negotiations with representatives of the press club and the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) following a recent incident involving alleged police intervention at the club premises.
The delegation, sent on the directives of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, was led by Provincial Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar and included Provincial Minister for Industries Sardar Kohyar Domki, Parliamentary Secretary for Excise Muhammad Khan Lehri, former provincial minister Naseebullah Marri, the Chief Minister’s Adviser on Media and Political Affairs Shahid Rind, and Press Secretary Sheikh Razzaq.
On behalf of the journalist community, President of the Quetta Press Club Irfan Saeed, BUJ President Manzoor Ahmed, Press Club Secretary Ayub Tareen, BUJ Secretary Shah Hussain Tareen, and senior journalist and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) leader Saleem Shahid participated in the talks.
During the meeting, journalist leaders briefed the delegation in detail about the March 2 incident, alleging irresponsible police behavior and violation of the sanctity of the press club. They presented a list of demands, including strict action against those responsible.
The journalist representatives stated that even during authoritarian periods, the sanctity of press clubs had been respected. They emphasized that press clubs serve as platforms where citizens bring forward their grievances and issues. According to them, this was the third instance of police interference, which they described as unacceptable and a threat to press freedom and freedom of expression.
The government delegation strongly condemned the alleged harassment of journalists and acknowledged the importance and sanctity of the press club. They informed participants that the Chief Minister had taken notice of the incident and assured that the government is serious about preventing such occurrences in the future.
The delegation requested time until Thursday to present the journalists’ demands before the Chief Minister and sought postponement of any further course of action by the BUJ and the press club. The journalist leadership agreed to defer their next steps, expressing hope that concrete measures would be taken. A second round of negotiations is scheduled for Thursday.
