On January 4, the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) rejected allegations circulated on social media claiming that senior journalists received payments during meetings with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, terming the assertions false and misleading.

In a joint statement, PPC President M. Riaz and General Secretary Alamgir Khan said the claims originated from a specific account on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. They stated that the posts were intended to harm the standing and credibility of the journalistic community in Peshawar.

The PPC office-bearers said the allegations were fabricated and described the campaign as a deliberate attempt to malign free, responsible, and independent journalism. They added that such actions were aimed at creating doubt about the professional conduct of journalists working in the province.

According to the statement, journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly those based in Peshawar, have a documented record of performing their duties with honesty and responsibility, even in challenging, high-pressure environments.

The leadership emphasised that journalists in the province had not yielded to intimidation, inducements, or pressure in the past and would not do so in the future. They said such tactics would not succeed in influencing or dividing the journalistic community.

The Peshawar Press Club further stated that it reserved the right to initiate legal action against what it described as character assassination and unfounded allegations. It added that relevant forums would be approached if required.

The statement concluded by reiterating that any effort to suppress, defame, or weaken journalists would fail, and that the principles of truth, public interest, and responsible journalism would continue to be upheld without compromise.