Srinagar: After the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided a prominent Kashmiri journalist Parvaiz Bukhari’s residence and the office of daily Greater Kashmir on Wednesday morning, several journalist bodies Thursday condemned what they called continuous harassment of media institutions and Kashmiri journalists.
A joint statement was issued by the associations in this regard.
These associations include Journalist Federation of Kashmir, Kashmir Working Journalist Association, Kashmir Journalist Corps, Kashmir National Television Journalist Association, Anjuman-e-Urdu Sahafat Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir Photo Journalist Association, Kashmir Journalist Association and Kashmir Press Club.
“We condemn the continuous harassment of media institutions and Kashmiri journalists, including Parvaiz Bukhari, an internationally known journalist, who works for Agency France Press as its Kashmir correspondent,” the statement read.
“In recent months raids and continued harassment of journalists has become a regular norm and we see it as a broader tactic to intimidate and silence professional journalists, who have been reporting on the region without any prejudice for decades,” the statement read.
“The journalist fraternity also sees this continuous harassment aimed at silencing reporters and curbing the freedom of the press.”
“Since August 5, 2019, dozens of Kashmiri journalists have been questioned, summoned, harassed and even physically assaulted by the authorities under the garb of various charges. For decades journalists in Kashmir have been working under extremely hostile conditions and this constant harassment only obstructs the delivery of professional obligations,” the statement added.
