- Police raided a Press Club in Islamabad amid protests against alleged atrocities in Pakistani-occupied Kashmir
- Policemen armed with batons attacked journalists during the raid in the Press Club cafeteria
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi ordered a probe and called for disciplinary action against officials
As Pakistan boils over alleged atrocities and internet blackout in violence-hit Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), police in Islamabad stormed the National Press Club (NPC), where several journalists were attacked. According to the Pakistani media reports, police raided the club, located in the heart of the capital, Islamabad, to arrest Kashmiri journalists covering a "call to protest" by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the body that called for protests in PoK against Shehbaz Sharif government.
Visuals circulating on social media showed policemen armed with batons entering what appeared to be the cafeteria of the press club and attacking people sitting there. Videos also showed the policemen dragging some protesters outside.
#BREAKING
— Ch.Amjad Ali (@saada186) October 2, 2025
Interior Minister #MohsinNaqvi on Thursday ordered an inquiry into a raid carried out by #Islamabadpolice at the National Press Club (#NPC), where several #journalists were allegedly attacked.#pakustv #NYC #Journalismisnotacrime #PoliceBrutality #CCTV #videoviral pic.twitter.com/gbfFo90KSX
Another viral image showed a journalist holding his camera in one hand as he tried to free his collar from the grip of a policeman with the other.
It is unbelievable to see @ICT_Police storming the National Press Club and assaulting journalists. How can they enter the premises of the press club without orders and assault journalists!
— Syed M Abubakar (@SyedMAbubakar) October 2, 2025
Media is constitutionally protected & those who did it should be immediately suspended!! pic.twitter.com/lMmqWAUiHT
Anas Mallick, a journalist who works with TV channel Asia One, told Dawn that police came to the club to arrest journalists from Kashmir covering a "call to protest" by the JAAC. He said the policemen were "acting like thugs".
Hamid Mir, another journalist, told the publication that the police were trying to arrest members of the JAAC and that they had "targeted journalists present in the cafeteria".
The raid reportedly happened on Thursday while people from POK were protesting outside the Press Club against alleged atrocities in the region. According to a Pakistan Today report, police 'mistook' journalists for protesters and attacked them.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the use of force against journalists and demanded an inquiry into the matter.
As the police crackdown has drawn strong condemnation across Pakistan, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi ordered a probe into the incident. In a statement, Naqvi said he has taken notice of the "unfortunate" incident and demanded a report from the Islamabad inspector general of police.
"Violence against the journalist community cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. Disciplinary action must be taken against officials involved in the incident," he was quoted as saying by Dawn.
The incident underscored the growing concerns over press freedom and atrocities against minorities in Pakistan.
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