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Kashmir Press Club concerned over harassment of jounalists
KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 2/18/2020 12:33:13 PM
Journo picked up in nocturnal raid, released
SRINAGAR, Feb 17: Kashmir Press Club on Monday yet again raised concern over, what it said, “continuous harassment of journalists in the Valley” and urged the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the J&K government to “allow them to function freely” and thus “respect the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression and speech in the region.”
Journalists’ body raised voice a day after a multimedia journalist Kamran Yousuf working with the Newsclick was picked up from his home by the police late Sunday night and released after questioning which lasted around two hours.
In a statement, the press organization quoting Kamran said that a police party led by DySP and SHO Pulwama entered his home around 11 PM and knocked on the door.
“I saw policemen surrounding our premises. The police official asked me come along and snatched my phones,” Kamran was quoted saying.
According to him, he was taken in a police vehicle to the office of DySP and questioned about some twitter account run by Kamran Manzoor.
“They checked my phones and searched everything on it. They asked me about some Kamran Manzoor and showed me his twitter account. The police officer said we had suspicion that you are running it,” Kamran was quoted saying.
He said that finally after failing to find anything that they were looking for, the police official called some officer on phone and let him go at 1 AM in the dead of night. “My distraught family members were waiting outside and took me home,” he added.
“The police’s nocturnal raid at the house of a journalist has once again highlighted the dangers faced by journalists in the Valley,” the Kashmir Press Club said.
It demanded Home Minister Amit Shah as well as the J&K government to take note of the appalling conditions in which press in Kashmir is working since August 5 last year.
“As such, it is once again urged that the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression and speech be respected in the region by allowing press and journalists to function freely,” it said.