Indian police, SIA set up bases at Srinagar Press Club to further tighten grip
Police presence press club attempt to silence journalists: Waheed Parra
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, exposing the facade of India’s democratic claims, it has been revealed that Indian police and State Investigation Agency have been deployed at Srinagar’s Press Club to maintain constant surveillance on journalists.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in order to further tighten control over press freedom in IIOJK, a police station has been set up inside the Press Club, while two offices of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) are located within the Press Enclave.
Peoples Democratic Party legislator Waheed Parra has called for the relocation of the police station and SIA offices, arguing that their presence at Press Club suppresses press freedom and undermines independent journalism in occupied Jammu Kashmir.
Speaking in the IIOJK Legislative Assembly, Parra highlighted the challenges faced by the media in the occupied territory, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. He asserted that Kashmiri journalists were among the worst affected, with severe communication restrictions imposed on them. “The first post-August 5, 2019 casualty was the media. Authorities attempted to create a state-sponsored press while silencing independent voices,” he said.
Parra also criticized the existing media policy in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, calling for its complete annulment rather than a mere review. “The current policy is nothing short of censorship. It is a tool to block independent journalism and establish state-controlled media,” he remarked.
The PDP leader pointed out that termed the presence of a police station and two SIA offices inside the Press Club in Srinagar as an attempt to “shoot the messenger” and stifle journalistic freedom.
He urged authorities to shift police stations and SIA offices away from the Press Club.
