Srinagar, October 17: Jammu and Kashmir National conference has condemned the thrashing of journalists by security forces at the gun fight site in the Fateh kadal locality of Srinagar.
In a statement issued from the party headquarters here at Nawa -e -Subhu Srinagar, Party Provincial Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar condemning the forces action said, “Thrashing the journalistic fraternity and stopping them from doing their professional duties is condemnable and seems to have become order of the day. The other day journalists were also thrashed in Anantnag while performing their professional duties.”
Imran said that job of reporting has put the lives of the journalists at risk and the uncertainty has left the job unsafe, “Almost everyone in Kashmir has been affected by the conflict that raged, directly or indirectly. And the list of the ‘messengers’ is also not a short one,” he said.
The provincial spokesperson praising the role of press in Kashmir said, “The journalistic and press fraternity is already working under duress in Kashmir. Kashmir press fraternity has suffered immensely and the history of journalism is replete with sacrifices. Journalists have paid for covering conflict.”
Imran said that the journalists are the unsung heroes whose work and courage goes unappreciated, “Journalism is not a crime, and press has a fundamental role in maintaining democratic institutions and guarding the rights of citizenry,” he said.
He said that acts like these cannot undermine the importance of free press.”Journalists are the eyes and years of people, and any attempt to harm those tantamount to harm the very plinth of democracy and freedom of speech,” he added.
The provincial spokesperson implored upon the governor administration to look into a matter and expedite an investigation and lend justice to the victims. “The need of the hour is to sensitize the forces about the working of press,” he said.
