Islamabad, April 11, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Modi-led fascist Indian government is using strong-arm-tactics to strangulate media in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Journalists continue to work in most trying conditions in IIOJK and they are being booked under draconian laws for speaking the truth, said a report released, today, by Kashmir Media Service.

It said Kashmiri journalist, Aasif Sultan was arrested in August 2018 under draconian law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for doing his journalistic work. Asif Sultan, who was granted bail earlier this week, has been booked under another black law, Public Safety Act (PSA) and shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu, it added.

The report lamented that prominent Kashmiri journalists like Fahad Shah, Sajjad Gul, Manan Gulzar and others are facings detentions under draconian laws, saying victimization of journalists in IIOJK has increased manifold since Aug 5, 2019 when the Modi-led fascist Indian government repealed Kashmir’s special status and imposed military siege in the territory.

It said journalists in the occupied territory face killings, murder attempts, arrests and threats on regular basis and a number of journalists have been killed and scores injured since 1989 in IIOJK. The report said India has made independent journalism almost impossible in IIOJK after introducing so-called media policy in 2020. Journalists are harassed, abducted, threatened and tortured simply for doing their job in IIOJK, it deplored.

It said India wants to hide ground realities of IIOJK from the world by criminalizing journalism in Kashmir and the International community must come forward to rescue independent media in the occupied territory, adding India must be pressurized to allow media to operate freely in the territory.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org