SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Press Club (KPC) on Monday demanded lifting of communication blockade in the Valley, saying that “unreasonable restrictions” are aimed at “gagging the press”.
The KPC in a statement said that it is deeply concerned over the prolonged and unprecedented communication shutdown in Kashmir which entered its 50th day on Monday.
It said that the club’s management body during a meeting while discussing the impact of the mobile telephony and Internet blackout said that it has severely hampered work of journalists and other media persons.
“Journalists are handicapped and unable to get confirmation about ground situation due to this communication blockade. The restrictions are totally unwarranted and unreasonable aimed at gagging the Kashmir press,” it said.
It added that the region is facing an unprecedented communication blockade with journalists and media’s access to Internet and mobile phones curtailed. At present, journalists and media workers are accessing Internet at the only government-run media centre established in Srinagar.
“There have been several reminders from the KPC to the government for freeing communication of newspaper offices, journalists and the club itself. But an inordinate delay in restoring the communication confirms the misgiving that the government doesn’t intend to provide an enabling atmosphere for the media to operate in the Valley,” a spokesman of the club said.
