Held Srinagar: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is one of most dangerous places of world where people associated with press and media are performing their professional duties in most difficult circumstances.

According to report twenty journalists have been confirmed killed while performing their duties during Kashmiris’ ongoing liberation struggle since 1989. They include Shabbir Ahmed Dar, Mushtaq Ali and Muhammad Shaban Wakeel, woman scribe Aasiya Jeelani, Ghulam Muhammad Lone, Ghulam Rasool Azad, Pervez Muhammad Sultan, Shujaat Bukhari, Ali Muhammad Mahajan, Syed Ghulam Nabi, Altaf Ahmed Fakhtoo, Saidan Shafi, Tariq Ahmed, Abdul Majid Butt, Javed Ahmed Mir, PN Handoo, Muhammad Shafi, Pradeeep Bhatia, Ashok Sodhi and Rayees Ahmad Butt.

Report pointed out that journalists face manhandling, abductions, murder attempts, harassment, detentions, summoning to police station and death threats by Indian Army, police and other agencies almost routinely in territory. It revealed that Kashmiri journalists and many other scribes while performing their professional duties are roughed up, injured and detained by troops on fake charges in territory.

Although India has snatched every right including right to freedom of press in occupied territory, Kashmiri journalists are determined to fight India’s assault on media freedom. Local journalist bodies have called upon international community to come to rescue of Kashmiri journalists. Victimisation of journalists in Kashmir has increased manifold since August 5, 2019.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 04 2023

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