New Delhi, April 23, 2020 (PPI-OT): The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) expressing shock over booking of three Kashmiri journalists, Masarat Zahra, Peerzada Ashiq and Gowhar Geelani, under serious charges by Indian police has said that the action was aimed at striking fear in the hearts of media persons in the territory.
The IWPC in a statement in New Delhi said that it was shocked at the manner in which law enforcement authorities in occupied Kashmir, over the last few days, had invoked laws to clamp down on freedom of speech and expression that violate fundamental rights laid down in the constitution. It said, the intention of the authorities in occupied Kashmir is to strike fear in the hearts of journalists who are simply doing their job. This is a clear message that the authorities will not tolerate dissent, it added.
“Masarat Zahra had only posted some pictures on social media. Peerzada Ashiq had just filed a report, while Gowhar Geelani’s commentary attracted the displeasure of the government,” the IWPC said, and hoped that the charges against these journalists will be withdrawn at the earliest. Earlier, the Editors Guild of India had also expressed concern over the high-handed manner in which the Indian police used prevailing laws to deal with the journalists.
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