Quetta Press Club ordered to seek approval before hosting events

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 28 August 2024 |  JP Staff Report

The Quetta Press Club must obtain prior approval from the district administration to host events amid escalating violence in the region. This decision follows several attacks attributed to militants, prompting safety concerns.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—The local administration in Quetta has prohibited the Quetta Press Club from hosting events organized by political parties or other organizations without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC), Dawn reported Wednesday.

According to a notification issued by the Quetta deputy commissioner's office on Tuesday, the press club has been instructed to refrain from allowing any conferences or seminars without prior approval from the district administration. The directive, quoted by Dawn, states: "Due to the current law and order situation, no organization or political party is permitted to organize any conference or seminar at the Quetta Press Club without prior approval from the district administration."

This new restriction follows a surge in violence in Balochistan, where militants linked to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched a series of coordinated attacks on Sunday night, targeting both security personnel and civilians, particularly those from Punjab. The wave of violence claimed the lives of at least 50 people, including 14 security personnel, as militants stormed police stations, destroyed railway tracks, and set fire to nearly three dozen vehicles.

Earlier in May, the local administration, along with the police, locked the gates of the Quetta Press Club to prevent members of the rights group Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) from holding a seminar. In response, the Balochistan Union of Journalists and the press club announced plans to launch a nationwide protest campaign against the actions taken by the district administration and police.