Our Correspondent
Islamabad: India is using all tactics to target basic principles of press freedom in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and is even stopping advertisements to Kashmir-based dailies to force them into submission.
According to political experts and analysts, Kashmiri journalists have always worked under immense pressure, facing intimidation, assaults and arrests on part of Indian forces in the territory.
They said, the international watchdog, World Press Freedom Index 2021 in its latest report called situation in IIOJK very worrying as reporters are often harassed by police and paramilitaries in the territory. They pointed out, in a new advisory, police have clamped new curbs on journalists in IIOJK where journalists have been refrained from live coverage of cordon and search operations and anti-India protests.
The political experts and analysts said, new police advisory in the territory is aimed at stopping journalists from reporting facts on the ground, adding it is a part of the string of measures taken by the authorities to suppress freedom of the press in IIOJK. They said, by issuing fresh advisory regarding reporting in the occupied territory, India wants to hide serious human rights violations being committed by its troops during CASOs.
They said, the media policy, announced by India in May 2020, is a continuation of measures taken to curtail the free flow of information in IIOJK. Since 5th August 2019, journalists have reported an intensified crackdown by occupation authorities in IIOJK.
The political experts and analysts said, Media Policy 2020, introduced last year in the occupied territory is meant to further muzzle press, adding the policy has made it even easier for the IIOJK authorities to go after reporters and publications who do not toe the authorities’ line. The BJP-led Indian regime must be punished for muzzling press in IIOJK, they demanded.
They said that journalists in IIOJK were already facing serious challenges, adding Media Policy 2020 and the latest police advisory have further increased their woes.
