The Deputy Commissioner of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province, Lt. (Rtd) Saad Bin Asad said on Thursday that the notification barring organizations or political parties from hosting events without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) at the Quetta Press Club is not an arbitrary directive. And for events at the press club, permission is mandatory.
He said that he is not against freedom of press. No permission is required for a press conference at the press club. Anyone can hold a press conference at five minutes’ notice. But it is mandatory to take permission from the administration for a conference or seminar lasting three, three hours.
He further said that apart from the permission, the conference or seminar hosts have been asked not to participate in the event any person or speaker who is banned or that person or speaker falls in the Fourth Schedule.
In the ceremony, anti-state talk could not be made. Apart from this, the administration can also manage the security of the event.
He clarified that ‘cases will be filed under Section 188 against those who do not follow these instructions.’
The Quetta district administration has barred organizations or political parties from hosting events at the Quetta Press Club without an NOC in view of the ‘law and order situation’.
According to the notification issued by the Deputy Commissioner’s office to the president of Quetta Press Club on Tuesday, in view of the current law and order situation, no organization or political party is allowed to hold a conference or seminar in Quetta Press Club with prior permission. be given
In May last year, the local administration closed the doors of the Press Club to prevent members of the Baloch Solidarity Committee from holding a seminar. Apart from this, Khuzdar Press Club was also closed for a long time.
According to Lieutenant (R) Saad bin Asad, before issuing the notification, the district administration met with the president of Quetta Press Club and other officials and took them into confidence.
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“There has been a lot of fuss over this notification as if it was happening for the first time. Permission is taken from the administration before organizing the ceremony in any hotel or any place including Karachi, Islamabad or even in any hotel in Quetta. Conferences or seminars are often held in Quetta Press Club, for which permission has been directed.’
Various journalist organizations including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), Karachi Press Club condemned the notification and demanded that this decision be withdrawn immediately.
PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari said in their joint statement that this is an attempt to curtail freedom of expression and freedom of press.
Afzal Butt said in his statement that the law and order situation did not arise because of speeches and freedom of expression, places like press club should be respected where freedom of expression is promoted.
Karachi Press Club President Saeed Sarbazi said that such a notification is a very dangerous tradition of interference in any press club.
Balochistan Union of Journalists President Khalil Ahmad said that the notification is an attack on the freedom of the press and we will call a meeting soon and announce the plan of action.
The ‘missing’ journalist returned from Barkhan
Last day from Barkhan district of Balochistan missing The would-be journalist Hayat Khetran recovered and reached the Kohlu Press Club.
Hayat’s brother Hafeezullah Khetran told local media that Hayat went missing yesterday but now he has reached the Kohlu Press Club.
A demonstration was held today in Rakhni, Barkhan city for Hayat’s recovery, in which local journalists participated.
The participants demanded their immediate recovery.
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2024-08-30 01:22:25