Srinagar
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Hurriyat forum led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said that the Indian repressive policies against the Kashmiri people and local media have increased tremendously to suppress the voice for freedom and truth in the territory.
The forum in a statement issued in Srinagar while denouncing the Indian government’s policy of intimidation and coercion against the media fraternity in the territory said that media was being stifled to suppress the truth.
The statement said that local journalists and print media owners are facing risk to their lives greatly while upholding the standards of journalistic ethics by reporting factually, neutrally and fearlessly from the ground.
“The international recognition and acclaim that the Kashmiri journalists have earned has made the people of J&K proud.”
The Hurriyat forum said that journalists like many others are under surveillance and those resisting to toe the authorities’ line are harassed with arrests, charges of sedition and legal action. “The witch-hunt against media has worsened with authoritarian approach being put in place to chase those not toeing the government line.”
The forum hoped that the media fraternity in IIOJK would not yield to pressure, and would continue to uphold its high standards of reporting truthfully and impartially without fear or favour.—KMS
