The Shia Ulema Council of Pakistan has vehemently condemned a police raid on the National Press Club, characterizing the violent assault on journalists as a disturbing reminder of the nation’s darkest dictatorial eras and an egregious attack on democratic principles.

The council’s Central Secretary General, Allama Dr. Shabbir Hassan Maisami, on Friday described the events as shameful and regrettable. He depicted shocking scenes of media representatives being brutalized with batons and kicks in public view, their cameras smashed, and the club’s premises converted into a restricted zone.

Dr. Maisami stated that the indiscriminate use of state power was a blatant infringement of the Constitution and the law. He emphasized that such actions are tantamount to strangling democratic values within the country.

The religious body has demanded that all individuals involved in the “unconstitutional and inhumane act” be immediately brought to justice.

Expressing full solidarity with the journalist community, Dr. Maisami also called for the provision of adequate protection for media professionals. He stressed that a free press is indispensable for any society that wishes to uphold democratic norms.