SRINAGAR In occupied Kashmir, the Kashmir Press Club has strongly condemned the harassment of two photojournalists by Indian police in Pulwama district. Two cameramen, Qayoom Khan and Qaisar Mir, working for CNN-News 18 and TV9 Bharatvarsh, were stopped by the police from performing their professional work in Pulwama and their camera and two mobile phones were also snatched away and returned after almost 5 hours. The Kashmir Press Club in a statement in Srinagar denounced the harassment of journalists by Indian army and police. Qaisar Mir said that their cameras and phones were snatched by a police officer when they were covering a raid by a probe agency at Hakripora in Pulwama. “Day by day media persons in south Kashmir are being harassed and abused while covering their professional duties,” he deplored. Qaisar Mir said that he was stopped at Babgund in Pulwama and thrashed by the Army personnel during a cordon and search operation on February 29. He also said that he was used as a “human shield” during the CASO by soldiers. The Kashmir Press Club said that it wanted to bring it on record that it had engaged with the police authorities at the highest level to convey its concerns about the harassment of journalists by the police since August 5, last year. “The Club management once again demands the police to sensitize its officers and allow journalists to work without any hurdle,” it said.—KMS
