Censorship

Local Journalists’ body condemns pellet attack on journalist Ajaz Dar in Shopian

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Shopian: Shopian Pulwama Journalist Guild condemned the forces action on video journalist Ajaz Dar at Meemandhar area of Shopian while performing his professional duties.

A journalist was injured in intense protests in Meminder village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district where armed forces had launched a search operation after a militant attack.

In a statement, the guild said that’ the forces fired pellets directly towards two journalists in which one got injured and was referred to District Hospital Shopian. This is totally against professionalism shown by the forces’.

“We put our hands up and told them that we are from the press and one of my colleague was wearing press jacket. However, the forces directly targeted both of us,” said Ajaz who was were showered by pellets by a contingent of SOG of Jammu and Kashmir police.

The SPJG urged Govt to ensure safety for media persons and strongly condemned the incident, calling for strong action against those who were involved in the act.

ALSO READ: #JournalismIsNotACrime: List of Journalists killed and attacked in Kashmir proves otherwise

Dar suffered a pellet injury in his head and neck.

In a similar incident, journalists covering the gunfight in Fateh Kadal area of Srinagar city a week ago were physically assaulted and abused by the armed forces near the site of the gunfight on Wednesday.

The journalists were performing their professional duties when the SOG and CRPF personnel started hitting them. At least ten journalists were physically assaulted up by the forces.

While speaking to Free Press Kashmir, journalists who had been present at the scene said that they had been ‘beaten mercilessly in front of senior officers’.

ALSO READ: #JournalismIsNotACrime: Arrested journalist Aasif Sultan’s judicial remand extended till October 1

Moreover, the images of three journalists in Kashmir being physically assaulted by the Jammu and Kashmir police and Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) surfaced a few days later.

The three journalists working with Srinagar based Kashmir Walla, had reportedly been detained in Nawab Bazar area of Srinagar city. Eyewitnesses said that the forces beat them up badly and took them away in a Rakshak vehicle.

As the clashes between youth and the armed forces were reported from some areas of the city, the three journalists were outside the office premises when the forces barged at them.

The three journalists are identified as Online News Editor of the Kashmir Walla, Saqib Mugloo, Features Writer, Kaiser Andrabi and Multimedia Journalist, Bhat Burhan.

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