Police Action at Quetta Press Club Strongly Condemned

Quetta (Qudrat Daily) – The Balochistan Union of Journalists and the Quetta Press Club have strongly condemned the recent police action at the Quetta Press Club, where police entered the premises and arrested candidates of the SB party. In a joint statement, both organizations termed the incident an attempt to curb freedom of speech and called on the provincial government to immediately suspend the involved police officers and conduct a thorough investigation, ensuring that those responsible are punished.
The statement emphasized that the police’s entry into the Press Club and the arrest of candidates was an unacceptable and deeply regrettable event, one that has no precedent in the past. It further stated that after the district administration, now the police have also attacked the freedom of expression, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
The joint statement also appealed to the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sardar Fazal Bakhsh Bakhti, to personally take strong action on the matter, suspend the involved police officers, and hold them accountable. The statement reminded that only a few months ago, the district administration had locked the Quetta Press Club, leading to widespread protests from journalists, which were resolved after an apology from the Chief Minister of Balochistan. However, following the recent incident, journalists have reserved the right to protest. They warned that if no action is taken against the responsible police officers, they will intensify their protests, placing the responsibility for the ensuing situation on the provincial government and police authorities.