AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Srinagar, March 15, 2020 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, a team of the Press Council of India arrived in Srinagar to analyze for itself the situation arising out of gag on media and difficulties faced by local journalists amid ongoing military lockdown and internet ban in the territory. A three-member team of the Press Council of India headed by Balwinder Singh and comprising Kamal Nain Narang and Syed Raza Hussain Rizvi as its members arrived in Srinagar on a four-day visit to the territory.
Soon after their arrival, the team visited the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Srinagar, where it held interactions with various delegations of media persons including editors, photojournalists and representatives of news agencies. The team was informed about restrictions on media imposed by the Indian authorities and the difficulties faced by the media persons, right from news gathering to its dissemination on day-to-day basis.
The delegations apprised PCI members of the problems faced by the journalist community particularly post-August 5, 2019 due to clampdown imposed by authorities. The journalist community particularly mentioned manhandling, harassment and intimidation of reporters at the hands of the Indian authorities. Several journalists, while carrying out professional duties, have been beaten up or harassed by Indian troops and police personnel in Kashmir. “Even cameras were broken and press cards were disrespected”, they said.
The members of Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) including Bashir Manzar, Manzoor Anjum, Masood Hussain, Zahoor Malik and Haroon Rashid and members of Photo-Journalist Association including Syed Muzaffar, Omar Ganaie, Bilal Bahadur and Dar Yasin were among the delegation who met the Indian team. Later, the PCI team visited the offices of some newspapers where they were bombarded with complaints about hardships in discharge of their day-to-day duties.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org