LEAs’ personnel conduct rehearsal at Karachi Press Club sans permission

KARACHI: The law enforcement agencies conducted a full dress rehearsal at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) without any prior permission, which created concern among the members.

Personnel of a law enforcement agency purportedly conducted a full dress rehearsal on Monday morning without any prior permission. On query, they explained that rehearsals are underway in different parts of the Red Zone on basis of threat alert and the Karachi Press Club also falls under the same jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has taken serious notice of raid on KPC by Sindh Rangers, and condemned it.

In a statement issued from here on Monday, PFUJ President Shehzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi termed it an uncalled-for act to terrify the journalist community. It’s an act which has desecrated the sanctity of the press club and cannot be tolerated, the statement said.

The PFUJ said that media and journalists cannot be deterred by such low and dirty tactics which bring bad name to the country and raise questions on the capacity of the Sindh and federal governments.

They demanded an immediate and urgent probe into the incident through and a three members judicial commission of Sindh High Court as the incident was unprecedented. Meanwhile, the Karachi Press Club governing body said in a statement that the act undermined the sanctity of the premises.

It said law and order and security affairs were of great importance, but entering the press club on this basis was a matter of great concern. The journalist community protested against this act, the governing body said, demanding of the director general of the Sindh Rangers to take immediate action against those personnel who were involved in the incident.