Pakistan Muslim League-N lawmaker Chaudhry Naseer Abbas Sidhu has condemned the recent registration of what he says are false police cases against several members of the Gujrat Press Club, describing the move as unprecedented and unacceptable. Sidhu, who is the brother of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, visited the Press Club to express his solidarity with journalists targeted by the local administration.
During his meeting with club president Abdul Sattar Mirza, patron Muhammad Younas Saqi, and senior journalist Muhammad Tufail Mir, Sidhu stated that he had already condemned the First Information Reports (FIRs) during a National Assembly session. Reaffirming his support, he stressed that educated and respected journalists should never have been subjected to such actions. He called the filing of these cases a “shameful” episode and the first of its kind in Gujrat’s history.
Sidhu argued that registering police cases only increases tensions and called for dialogue as the best path to resolving differences. He said he had spoken to the newly appointed District Police Officer and intended to meet the deputy commissioner soon, emphasizing that journalists serve as guides for society, not as criminals. He voiced confidence that, with cooperation, the issue would be resolved.
Club President Abdul Sattar Mirza welcomed Sidhu’s visit and said it had raised the morale of journalists. Mirza criticized the administration’s appointment of inexperienced officers in Gujrat, warning that such choices were widening the gap between state institutions and citizens. He also reminded the authorities of journalists’ contributions to society and their sacrifices in both war and peace. Mirza lamented that, despite these contributions, reporters were being targeted with false cases during the PML-N’s own tenure, calling it a dishonor to their profession.
Senior journalist Muhammad Younas Saqi paid tribute to Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu and defended Naseer Abbas Sidhu’s political record, highlighting his previous election campaigns and clean reputation. Saqi warned the local administration not to marginalize the Press Club, noting its more than forty years of service to development and social welfare in Gujrat. He expressed a desire to avoid confrontation but made clear that journalists would not compromise on their rights.
