On April 05, the Karachi Press Club (KPC) condemned road closures leading to the press club that obstructed a planned protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers. The KPC leadership condemned the closures and demanded an immediate reopening of access.

According to the Karachi Traffic Police, the road closures were due to security reasons. The protest, initially scheduled to occur directly outside the KPC, was relocated to Fawara Chowk due to the obstructions.  As per media reports, 23 PTI leaders and workers were detained in the clashes with police.

Senior journalists and KPC leaders voiced their frustration over the disruptions.

KPC President Fazil Jamili emphasized the club’s role as a bastion of free speech, criticizing the government’s approach to handling the protest. “No more siege of Karachi Press Club. KPC is a sanctuary of free speech, not a tactical blockade,” Jamili stated on social media platform X. He also highlighted the importance of unimpeded access to the KPC for journalists, referring to it as their “second home” and a “symbol of democracy.”

Echoing Jamili’s sentiments, former KPC president Saeed Sarbazi expressed his dismay on X, describing the scene as filled with “containers, barriers, and silence”— a direct attack on democratic rights and press freedom.

The blockades, which caused significant disruption throughout the day, were eventually lifted later in the evening. The traffic police issued an alert at 9:20 pm announcing that the roads near the KPC were reopened, allowing normal traffic flow to resume.

The KPC leadership has warned that if such restrictions continue, further actions may be taken.