Journalists protest ‘illegal directives’ to seal Swat Press Club

MINGORA: The journalists staged a demonstration against the illegal directives of the deputy secretary to seal the Swat Press Club on Saturday.

The journalist chanted slogans and asked the provincial government to take stern action against Deputy Secretary Arshad Khan and remove him from his post.

“It is a black day for the journalist community in this government, as a bureaucrat has issued illegal directives to the district administration to seal the press club building at the behest of certain elements. We will continue our struggle for independence of journalism,” said Swat Press Club Chairman Mahboob Ali Yousafzai.

“The journalists in the entire Malakand Division will stage a demonstration on Sunday against the illegal notice of the deputy secretary. There is no precedent where a deputy secretary has issued a directive for the closure of a press club,” said Shahzad Alam, President of All Malakand Union of Journalists.

“The journalist community condemned the action of the deputy secretary in strong possible words. Taking action against the press club is like an attack on freedom of journalism,” Said Ghulam Farooq, Chief Organizer of Swat Press Club.

He asked Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Federal Minister Murad Saeed to play their due role in solving the issue.

The journalist community of the district have also asked the leadership of Pakistan Union of Journalist, presidents of press clubs, of all districts of the country to join hands, to cope with this situation.