SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the locking down of the office of local news agency KNS describing the act as administration’s attempt to ‘stifle free press’.
PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: “Harassing &hounding local new agencies like @KNSKashmir for speaking truth to power is yet another example of J&K admin’s contempt & efforts to stifle free press in Kashmir. Disgraceful & highly condemnable.”
Meanwhile, Apni Party senior vice president Ghulam Hassan Mir on Saturday termed the government action against Kashmir News Service (KNS) as unjustified and unwarranted move which needs to be undone at the earliest.
In a statement issued here, Mir said that there is no justification behind the Estate department’s operation in which the KNS office has been locked. “This new agency is an old and reputed news gathering agency in J&K. Instead of facilitating smooth functioning of the media outlets in J&K, the present dispensation seems to be creating more troubles for them,” the Apni Party senior vice president remarked.
Mir urged the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene into the matter and address the sufferings of the KNS management and the editorial staff that has been rendered space less by the Estates department through its unprecedented action.
