NORTH WAZIRISTAN: A group of baton-wielding men attacked Miramshah District Press Club here on Saturday, damaging property and harassing journalists.

Two policemen deployed at the press club’s gate were assaulted and injured in the attack, allegedly led by a brother of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Nek Mohammad.

The incident triggered outrage among journalists across the tribal district, with Waziristan Union of Journalists (WUJs) and Miramshah Press Club condemning the attack and issuing an ultimatum to the district administration and police to take immediate action against those involved.

According to journalists and other people familiar with the incident, Noor Mohammad, brother of PTI lawmaker Nek Mohammad, arrived at the press club along with a group of armed men carrying batons, who forced their way into the premises and damaged property while intimidating journalists present there.

Journalists demand arrests, threaten protest

The two policemen posted at the entrance attempted to stop the attackers but were assaulted. Their clothes were torn during the confrontation. Both suffered injuries as well.

Following the incident, an emergency meeting of Waziristan Union of Journalists and Miramshah Press Club was held. Participants condemned what they described as an attack on the press and an attempt to intimidate journalists through force.

The journalist bodies demanded that district administration and district police officer Sajjad Hussain ensure immediate arrest of all attackers and start legal proceedings against them.

They warned that failure to take prompt action would force them to expand their protest beyond North Waziristan.

In a joint statement, Waziristan Union of Journalists and Miramshah Press Club said that journalists wouldn’t be intimidated by threats, violence or use of armed groups.

They said that the press club was a professional institution and no individual or political group could be allowed to attack journalists or interfere with their professional duties.

The journalist organisations also said they would contact other press bodies and journalist unions if the district authorities failed to take effective action against the attackers.

“The incident is not merely an attack on a building; it is an attack on journalists and their right to perform their professional responsibilities without fear,” the organisations said in a joint statement.

They demanded that the police investigate the incident transparently, identify every person involved and take action under the law. They also called for adequate security arrangements for the press club and its members to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The journalists said that any delay in arresting the alleged perpetrators would be viewed as a failure of the district administration and police to protect journalists and uphold the rule of law.

They warned that if the district authorities failed to fulfil their responsibilities, the journalist community would approach senior officials at the provincial level and seek their intervention.

Journalists in North Waziristan urged authorities to treat the incident as a serious law-and-order matter rather than a personal dispute, arguing that allowing armed groups to enter a press facility and threaten journalists could have wider implications for press freedom and public accountability.

Waziristan Union of Journalists and Miramshah Press Club said they were currently waiting for a response and concrete action from the police and district administration.

They declared that the journalist community would continue to pursue the matter through legal and constitutional means and would not withdraw its demand for accountability.

The journalist bodies said that protecting media persons was the responsibility of the state and that no political affiliation or personal influence should be allowed to place anyone above the law.

They said that journalists would continue performing their professional duties and reporting matters of public interest despite attempts at intimidation.

The police and district administration have yet to announce details of any arrests or formal action over the attack.

The journalists warned that failure to act could lead to a broader protest campaign involving journalist organisations from across the province.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2026