ISLAMABAD: Several journalists and members of civil society in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) paid rich tributes and condolences to martyred journalist Rayees Ahmad Butt on his first martyrdom anniversary.

Indian troops martyred young Kashmiri freelance journalist Rayees Ahmad along with youth during cordon and search operation on March 30 last year in Rainawari area of Srinagar, Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported.

“Occupied Kashmir is one of most dangerous places in world where people associated with press and media are performing their professional duties in most difficult circumstances and situations,” said report released by KMS.

It said 20 journalists had been confirmed as being killed while performing their duties during Kashmiris’ ongoing liberation struggle since 1989. They include Shabbir Ahmed Dar, Mushtaq Ali, 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 and Javed Ahmed Mir.

Report said almost routinely, journalists in occupied territory face manhandling, abductions, murder attempts and death threats by Indian troops and all this has made their everyday work extremely difficult.

Kashmiri journalists and many other scribes while performing their professional duties in territory were roughed up, threatened, assaulted, summoned and detained by Indian police, agencies and troops on fake charges. Report maintained that India was targeting Kashmiris journalists to hide ground realities of IIOJK from world but would never succeed in its nefarious designs.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 31 2023

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