Mumbai press club condemns ‘dastardly’ attack on KPC

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Press Club strongly condemned what it called the dastardly attack on the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Sunday evening mounted by ‘fanatics belonging to the Anjuman Talba-e-Islam, the students wing of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan’.

According to a statement issued here today, initially, the attackers were protesting outside KPC against the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri.

“The protest was part of the campaign mounted by various religious organizations in Pakistan against Qadri's execution. Qadri, a police and security officer, was responsible for the assassination of Salman Taseer, the Punjab Governor, on 4th January 2011,” the statement said.

The demonstrators of Anjuman Talba outside the KPC premises yesterday suddenly went berserk and invaded the club premises saying their demonstration should be shown live on television.

The journalists and camera persons tried to explain but in vain that KPC has nothing to do with news coverage. Seeing tension, the gates of the KPC were closed. The attackers were carrying lathi, petrol bombs, etc. They stormed into the Club and tried to set Jaag TV's DSNG on fire. Many journalists were hurt in the melee and equipment and cameras broken and snatched by the goons.

“The Mumbai Press Club demands that the Pakistan government and the Sindh provincial government take stringent action against the attackers and the organization that perpetrated this outrage.”

The statement went on to say that it is the responsibility of the government to provide an atmosphere where journalists can work without any fear or favour. “The Mumbai Press Club has official and close bilateral relations with the Karachi Press Club, and we stand with them in solidarity,” it added.

The Mumbai Press Club has also conveyed solidarity with the journalist community of Karachi who are struggling against all odds for the freedom of expression.