KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Is Kashmir under martial law? Kashmiri Journalists holding sit-in against ban on ‘Kashmir Reader’ on Oct 4th 2016. (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)
For second consecutive day, Srinagar based English newspaper, the Kashmir Reader, could not publish after District Magistrate ordered ban on its publishing on late Oct 2nd evening. The ban on the three-year-old newspaper was condemned and government was urged to revoke it immediately.
Kashmiri Journalists working from Valley based newspapers or international media organizations held sit-in protests and later took out a solidarity march in Lal Chowk on Tuesday, for second consecutive day.
On Monday, the working Journalists after holding sit-in protest in Mushtaq Ali Enclave – Press Colony – marched on Residency Road up to Directorate of Information and Public Relations where they held a sit-in protest after the office bearers did not open the gate. The Journalist later pasted the protest placards on the front entrance of the office.
Kashmir Editor Guild – the top body of Kashmir based editors and owners – in a statement on Monday sought immediate revocation of the ban.
Today, in the evening, scores of journalists staged a sit-in at Mushtaq Enclave before marching towards historic clock tower (Ghanta Ghar) in Lal Chowk here as a mark of protest against the ban on publication of the Kashmir Reader.
Revoke ban on ‘Kashmir Reader’! Kashmiri Journalists held a sit-in protest at Ghanta Ghar in Lal Chowk on Oct 4th 2016. (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)
The journalists were carrying placards reading: ‘Withdraw gag on Media’, ‘Withdraw ban on Kashmir Reader’, ‘Is Kashmir under martial law?’, ‘Reading of Dark Age’, ‘Don’t Stifle Freedom of Speech’.
The ban on the Kashmir Reader was ordered by the District Magistrate of Srinagar citing that the newspaper’s content “contains such material and content which tends to incite acts of violence and disturb public peace and tranquillity”. However, editor of the newspaper has said that they were not issued any notice prior to the ban. “Kashmir Reader reported events like any other newspaper,” Hilal Mir, the editor, said.
The ban on the English daily evoked condemnation from across the ideological divide in and outside Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Kashmir Editors Association condemned the banning of daily the Kashmir Reader.
In a meeting held here today, Kashmir Editors Association described the ban, without any prior notice to the Printer, Publisher and Owner of the Kashmir Reader, as against the basic spirit of democracy as well as the freedom of press.
The Association president, Rasheed Rahi, according to CNS said that the government move is a direct attack on the fourth pillar of democracy that needs to be condemned in strongest terms.
The government order, banning the newspaper, is vague and unclear about the charges for which such a harsh step has been taken, the Association said.
KEA impressed upon the government to revoke the ban order forthwith failing which the Valley-based newspapers would be forced to take direct action.
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