The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) has declared a total boycott of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coverage.
RIUJ’s decision follows offensive remarks made by Ali Amin Gandapur about the media and women and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s subsequent endorsement of those statements.
The RIUJ has demanded an apology from Ali Amin Gandapur for his comments and called for Imran Khan to clarify his position explicitly. The union has warned that without these actions, Gandapur’s remarks will represent the official stance of PTI.
Journalists convened a consultative meeting at the Parliament House office of the Parliamentary Reporters Association of Pakistan to address the issue. Representatives from the National Press Club, Supreme Court Reporters Association, Parliamentary Reporters Association, PTI Beat Reporters Association, Young Reporters Forum, and journalists covering Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, attended the meeting.
Read: Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur Apologizes to Three Army Officers: Geo News
During the meeting, participants highlighted that despite opposition leader Omar Ayub and Barrister Gohar’s assurances given 72 hours earlier, Gandapur had not apologized, thereby contradicting the PTI leadership’s promise made on the House floor. Imran Khan also reiterated his support for Gandapur’s statements.
The assembly decided that if PTI did not clarify its position within the next 24 hours, it would consider Gandapur’s remarks as the party’s official stance, prompting a nationwide response from journalists.
The meeting unanimously agreed on a nationwide PTI coverage boycott and discussed employing legal and other measures, citing ongoing inflammatory statements from PTI’s official platforms.
