لراوبر ویب پاڼه لراوبر يو افغان – تازه خبرونه
SAFMA, SAMC condemn attacks on media freedom in J&K
LAHORE: The South Asian Free Media Association and South Asia Media Commission Saturday condemned the attacks on media freedom in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Showing solidarity with the Kashmiri media in their difficult days, SAFMA President Lakshman Gunasekara, Secretary General Imtiaz Alam and SAMC Chairman N. Ram and Secretary General Najam Sethi said they were worried at the reports of the media being directly targeted in an intensifying security crackdown in Kashmir.
“Instances like newspapers failing to print for several days because of severe restrictions on journalists’ movement, suspension of cable news channels, injuries to journalists in targeted attacks by the security personnel create an environment of paralysis for the media, where only disinformation and rumour can hold sway,” they said in a statement.
Resenting the assaults on the media in Kashmir, they urged the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure media freedom by facilitating functioning of journalists and distribution of newspapers without any restrictions.
“Any attempt to curb the media is against the ethos of democracy. The authorities should take immediate steps to ensure that people in Jammu and Kashmir are not deprived of their fundamental right to access information and freedom of expression.”
They also demanded restoration of news channels on cable networks in Kashmir. “Jammu and Kashmir is being deprived of all information in the absence of local channels and so, their operations should be restored immediately.”
The authorities should also ensure journalists safety, SAFMA and SAMC officeholders said.
They criticized a raid by some agency on the home of Shujaat Bukhari, “The Hindu” correspondent in Srinagar.