On June 2, a group of men allegedly linked to one faction of the disputed custodians of the Luari Sharif shrine attacked the Badin Press Club pelting the building with stones and attempting to force entry.

Shaukat Memon, president of the Badin Press Club, told Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) that the attackers surrounded the club and tried to climb over the boundary walls to disrupt a press conference being held by their rival group inside. He said there was no major damage to the building but the attackers created panic and chaos.

Memon said the police arrived after the attack and managed to control the situation, but did not arrest anyone at the time. He confirmed the incident is linked to a long-standing dispute between two groups over the custodianship of the Luari Sharif shrine.

He added that the club demanded an apology from Chairman Municipal Committee Badin, Pir Muhammad Saleh Qureshi. “He was asked for an apology yesterday, and today he visited the club and apologized,” Memon said.

Following the attack, an emergency joint meeting of journalists from the Badin Press Club and Aiwan-i-Sahafat had condemned the assault, terming it an “act of terrorism.” They had announced a district-wide protest and a blackout on coverage of events organised by the group involved in the attack.

Speaking to PPF, Memon said that during a district-level meeting of journalists held on June 3, participants unanimously agreed to accept the apology and suspend the planned protest.

Police confirmed that at least seven individuals suspected of involvement in the assault had been detained.

Earlier, the district administration had imposed a ban on all public gatherings from 7th to 11th Zilhaj in the district.