SKARDU, June 9: Local leaders of political parties and journalists on Sunday threatened to launch a protest movement across Gilgit-Baltistan if the district administration didn’t withdraw ‘occupation’ of the Skardu Press Club building immediately.

Addressing a joint news conference at the local press club set up in a tent here, Syed Mazahar Hussian, representing all the political parties in the region, demanded of the federal and provincial governments to solve the issue. “Political parties’ activists will start a campaign in support of local media men to press the administration to vacate the press club. And if any untoward incident happens during the agitation the government will be responsible for it,” he threatened.

He said local journalists had been protesting against the district administration for seizing the press club building for last 12 days.

Leaders of MQM, APML, PTI, MQM, PML-N, Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) and Anjuman Tahafuz-I-Huqooq Baltistan (ATHB) were also present on the occasion. They said the government had attacked freedom of media by occupying the press club building.

PML-N Skardu district president Wazir Ikhlaque said he would bring the issue into the notice of his party’s high ups. “The press club building will be given back to journalists at any cost,” he assured.

Raja Zakria of ATHB accused the local administration of overlooking illegal allotment of public land in Baltistan. He asked the region’s chief minister Syed Mehdi Shah to apologise with the journalists for this unfair step taken by his administration.

Ghulam Shehzad Agha of GBUM alleged that the occupation of the press club building during night time was meant to create disharmony in the region.

Manzoor Yultar of APML said the regional government should stop harassing media men for highlighting their corruption and mismanagement and return the press club building to them.

Noor Hassan of MQM and Syed Ameer Kazmi of PTI also condemned the illegal occupation of Skardu Press Club by the district administration and demanded of the PTI-led provincial government to intervene in the matter.