Event Summary
During the Kashmir protests in Islamabad in early October 2025, a violent incident occurred when, on 2 October 2025, police forces raided the National Press Club, one of Pakistan’s most prominent journalist institutions. The confrontation began as members of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) held a protest outside the club against rising inflation and governance issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. When clashes erupted between the protesters and law enforcement, police entered the Press Club premises, reportedly attacking journalists, breaking furniture, and damaging media equipment inside the building. Eyewitnesses and videos circulating on social media showed officers dragging journalists and assaulting staff in the cafeteria area.
The incident was widely condemned by journalist unions, human rights organizations, and political activists, who called it an unprecedented attack on press freedom in Pakistan. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Islamabad Press Club administration termed it a direct attempt to intimidate the media and restrict journalists from covering civic unrest. Many described the Press Club as a “safe space for free expression” and expressed outrage over its violation by state forces. Protests by journalists were held in multiple cities demanding accountability and protection for media workers.
In response to the outcry, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi ordered an official inquiry into the raid, promising that those responsible would be held accountable. However, conflicting narratives emerged: police officials claimed they acted in pursuit of protesters who had taken refuge inside the building, while journalists insisted that the raid was deliberate and disproportionate. The investigation remains ongoing, but the event has already reignited national debate over the shrinking space for independent journalism and freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Over the past year, multiple incidents have shown intensifying pressure, harassment, and violence directed at journalists and media organizations in Pakistan. For example, journalists have been killed, forcibly disappeared, or threatened, even under ambiguous legal pretexts. Controversial laws such as the proposed social media regulation law are considered attempts to censor reporting. In institutional terms, raids, detentions, and disruptions of press operations have already occurred in Pakistan. Prior to the Islamabad Press Club assault, journalists and press facilities in Quetta among other places had reportedly faced aggressive raids or obstruction. The recent raid on the Islamabad Press Club thus fits into a trajectory of escalating state-media confrontation, especially under conditions of protest, unrest, or political sensitivity.