Make charges against scribe public: Kashmir Editors’ Guild

The Editors’ Guild had called a meeting Monday to deliberate upon the “various developments that hugely weaken” the freedom of speech in the Valley.

The Kashmir Editors’ Guild (KEG) Monday equated the current situation of the media in the Valley to the Emergency and demanded that the Jammu and Kashmir Police make the charges against journalist Asif Sultan, a local journalist who was arrested for allegedly “harbouring” militants, made public.

“While the newspapers (in the state) have routinely started getting notices to explain things that have gone into print, there are very disturbing reports about reporters being asked to disclose sources (of stories),” an official statement released by the Editors’ Guild said. “(This is) something that has not happened even during the Emergency.”

The Editors’ Guild had called a meeting Monday to deliberate upon the “various developments that hugely weaken” the freedom of speech in the Valley. “The KEG reiterates that freedom of speech can’t be suspended even if the Assembly is in suspended animation,” the statement said.

Sultan, a journalist with Srinagar-based news magazine Kashmir Narrator, was arrested Friday after he was detained for a few days allegedly for “harbouring” militants. “The police have registered a formal FIR after detaining him (Sultan) for six days. The KEG believes that the police must make public the charges against him,” the Guild said.

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More

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