Islamabad: Amid massive protests in violence-hit Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), police in the capital city of Islamabad stormed the National Press Club (NPC), where several media personnel were manhandled and brutally assaulted by the police on Thursday.
According to local media reports, police raided the press club, located in Islamabad, to arrest Kashmiri journalists covering a protest call by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) the group that organised demonstrations in PoK against the Shehbaz Sharif government.
Videos that have gone viral on social media show police personnel armed with batons entering what appeared to be the cafeteria of the press club and assaulting journalists who were sitting there peacefully. Footage also shows policemen dragging some protesters outside.
Several clips show half a dozen policemen in blue uniforms mercilessly thrashing journalists with batons.
An image from the raid is also going viral showing a journalist holding his camera in one hand as he tried to free his collar from the grip of a policeman with the other.
Reportedly, people from POK were protesting outside the Press Club against alleged atrocities in the region. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the use of force against journalists and demanded a probe into the matter.
Notably, the protests, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), have resulted in over half a dozen casualties and several serious injuries in the past three days.
The protest stems from the government's failure to address these demands, which include the elimination of reserved seats in PoJK--12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan were abolished. In addition to political reforms, protesters are also calling for urgent economic relief measures such as slashing electricity tariffs, providing subsidised wheat flour, and ending perks for government officials. They are further demanding free education and health facilities for the people of PoJK.
