BJP regime using brutal tactics to silence journalists in IIOJK: APHC
Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has said that as the world observes the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists today, journalists in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir continue to face state-sponsored repression and harassment under the BJP regime.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the persecution of journalists has intensified as the Hindutva-driven BJP government and its proxy administration in IIOJK are using brutal tactics to silence independent voices and suppress press freedom.
He said since August 5, 2019, journalists in the occupied territory have faced an intensified crackdown, frequent summons, raids, and intimidation by Indian agencies for reporting the truth. “Media persons are being threatened, booked, and interrogated under draconian laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Public Safety Act for simply doing their job,” he added.
The spokesman said the media in IIOJK is under tremendous pressure to align with the Hindutva narrative, while India’s pliant ‘Godi media’ continues to propagate the BJP’s communal and anti-Kashmir agenda.
The APHC called on international human rights and media watchdogs to take serious notice of India’s systematic curbs on press freedom and its ongoing victimization of Kashmiri journalists. “The world must hold the BJP regime accountable for its assault on truth and for turning journalism into a punishable act in occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement added.
