The journalists of Gilgit-Baltistan have been doing their professional duties as a social and national service.

They are affiliated with different international, national and local TV channels, daily and weekly newspapers and magazines but do not get any remuneration and salaries.

Their main aim is to highlight the problems and hardships of this far flung and backward area of Pakistan and also to protect the ideological frontiers of Pakistan.

In the absence of any representation in the National Assembly and Senate, the mediamen of this region play silent role of public representatives and social workers.

In 1947, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan had got freedom from Dogra Raj on self-help basis and later annexed with Pakistan unconditionally.

The government of Pakistan despite giving constitutional rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan kept its future status in limbo by attaching it with Kashmir issue.

Giving in to the long-standing demand of the people of this region, the Pakistan People’s Party government at the centre approved an administrative package in 2009 for GB through "Gilgit Baltistan empowerment and self-governance order".

In this way, the people of GB got a post of governor, a chief minister and some ministers.

Syed Mehdi Shah became the first chief minister of GB who after administering the oath to the office of the chief minister. But he failed to provide justice to the people because of alleged mismanagement and corruption.

The journalists of Skardu Baltistan started positive criticism of the provincial government’s defective administrative policies, mismanagement and corruption.

Though the CM took criticism in a positive manner, he started torturing the journalists using different tactics. That was the reason that the journalists of Skardu Baltistan have been working under acute mental stress for the last three years.

During this period, offices of local daily newspapers were raided and the staff was harassed. Several active local journalists were subjected to violence.

Moreover, the chief minister got several journalists sacked from their newspapers and TV channels and those refused to tow his order he stopped their advertisements.

Finally the district administration on the advice of the CM seized Skardu Press Club building on the night of May 29, and handed it over to local health department.

The district administration took away computers, cameras, furniture, tables, TV set, carpets, sign board and the plaque worth more than Rs1 million.

In 2002, the then information minister and chief executive of Northern Areas Nisar Memon had given the building to journalists for the press club and information complex, so it had been in their possession for 11 years.

Soon after the incident, the members of the Press Club, Baltistan Electronic Media Reporters Association (Bemra) and Baltistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) gathered outside the press club building to protest against the unfair and illegal step taken by the district administration. Political activists, lawyers and civil society activists also showed up in a large number.

Later, the journalists set up press club in a tent outside the premises. After a few days they shifted their makeshift arrangement to Yadgar- i-Shuhada and resolved to stay there until the building was not vacated. Now the poor journalists of Skardu have been performing their professional duties there for the last seven days while wearing black armbands.

They have also displayed banners and placards at their venue. Some of the protesters have been on hunger strike since Tuesday.

Different political, social, religious and civil society activists have been visiting the tent press club to express their solidarity with the journalists. They also record their comments in the visitor’s book.

According to the visitor’s book, the visiting people vehemently condemned the unfair attitude of the CM and district administration. They said the provincial government had destroyed all government departments through corruption, favoritism, violation of merit and misuse of powers and now they were harassing journalists by evacuating them from the press club which is not only a war against free media but also a state terrorism.

They have demanded that the authorities should immediately vacate the press club building and hand it over to the local journalists again.

Haji Fida Mohammad Nashad, the ex-deputy chief executive of Gilgit Baltistan and leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said: “During my tenure, we had allotted the press club building to the journalists, but what a pity that the present provincial government has snatched this building from them which is condemnable.”

He said the government should immediately return this building to the journalists with all other facilities.

The Anjuman-i-Tajiran, Skardu has warned the government to solve the press club issue otherwise they would stage a complete shutter down strike in favour of local journalists.

Talking to Dawn , Skardu Press Club President, Nisar Abbas said: “There is no doubt that the district administration has seized the press club building on the advice of the Gilgit Baltistan’s Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah which is not only condemnable but also a shameful act.

“Gilgit Baltistan has become a dangerous place for the local journalists, the government is harassing journalists for publishing fair, impartial and investigative stories,” said Mohammad Hussain Azad, president Baltistan Electronic Media Reporters Association (Bemra).

Qasim Hussain Bhutt, president Baltistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) said the provincial government was rewarding the journalists with torture and punishment, and snatched their press club.

The government should immediately return the building to the journalists of Skardu, otherwise strong protest will be held in Gilgit Baltistan.

These views were expressed by Syed Mazahir Hussian as a representative of all parties during a joint press conference held at the tent press club recently.

The all parties including Muttahida Wehdatul Muslimeen, All Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) and Anjuman Tahafuz-e-Huqooq Baltistan (ATHB) in a joint statement condemned the takeover of the press club building by the district administration.

They said all parties believed in freedom of press that was why they were favoring the journalists in their struggle for retrieving the building.

Syed Mazahir said the government was victimising mediamen. He demanded that the federal and provincial government should solve the Skardu Press Club issue immediately.

He said if the building was not vacated, the all parties would make strong protest and the government would be responsible for any untoward incident.

Wazir Ikhlaque said that he as president of PML-N Skardu district would bring this issue into the notice of his party high command and ministers and the press club building would be given back to local journalists.

Holding responsible for the illegal occupation of press club building, Raja Zakria of ATHB said that because of the seizure of press club building media has been affected which has paralyzed the whole system in Baltistan.

He said the government did not take notice of illegal distribution of land in Baltistan but was concentrating only on Skardu press club building.

Captain retired Sikandar said the government was using delaying tactics to solving the press club issue which was unjust and condemnable.

He said, his party would keep continue their support until the press club building is returned to the journalists.

Ghulam Shehzad Agha of GBUM alleged that the midnight operation was meant to create disharmony in the region.

Manzoor Yultar of APML said that the provincial government should stop harassing local media men for highlighting their corruption and mismanagement and returned the illegally captured press club building immediately to the local media men.

Noor Hassan of the MQM and and Syed Ameer Kazmi of PTI also condemned the illegal seizure of Skardu press blub building by the district administration and demanded it should immediately be returned to the mediamen.

The journalists of Skardu Baltistan have sought help, favour, protection and justice from national, international human rights organisations, social organisations, government high officials and journalists communities.

They have appealed to human rights organisations, mediamen, journalists organisations and press club members to highlight this issue through their forums and channels.