———-CA’s press wing says

TDS Desk

The government has restricted journalists’ access to the secretariat following a fire on Thursday “in view of the safety and security of the key point installation (KPI)” said the chief adviser’s press wing.

A devastating fire ravaged parts of building seven for almost 10 hours early on Thursday. Firefighters were able to completely douse the flames on Thursday afternoon. One firefighter had died as he was run over by a speeding truck when carrying a water hose across the street next to the secretariat.

According to the press wing, the government will soon review the existing accreditation cards and invite fresh applications from local and international news outlets for the Press Information Department to issue new cards.

Temporary daily access cards will be issued by respective ministries for any press events. The government regrets the inconvenience and seeks cooperation from journalists, the press wing said.

The government last night issued a notice cancelling all temporary entry passes for private individuals to the secretariat. It also suspended entry passes of all visitors, including journalists, citing “security concerns”.

The entry of journalists, who could get into the secretariat with accreditation cards, were also barred from entry until further notice, said the instruction.