Srinagar: Kashmiri journalist working for Network 18’s IBN7, an Indian news channel, has resigned alleging that he was being forced by the channel to prepare “fabricated anti-Kashmir” reports.
Journalist Naseer Ahmed had been affiliated with Zee News Network for 16 years before he joined Noida based IBN7 Hindi news channel in November 2014.
“I resigned on moral grounds as the channel operators were forcing me to prepare anti-Kashmir reports only. They are biased and were refusing to air my reports reflecting ground reality of Kashmir,” Naseer Ahmed told a Srinagar based news agency.
The Channel is least bothered about civilian killings and has an agenda to twist facts about Kashmir and malign its image across globe.
After the killing of Hizb Commander Burhan Wani in July last month, the Editorial Board of IBN7 asked me to file a fabricated report that will show Burhan had a love affair with a girl. When I refused, they contacted their Jammu reporter who did it for them from Jammu, Naseer Ahmed said and claimed that the news channels always twisted facts about Kashmir and mislead people of India through lies and distortion.
He said that he was shocked when the Channel refused to air a story about ATM Guard from old Srinagar city who was done to death by CRPF after they pumped pellets into his body when he was on way to his home. Instead of airing this story, the Channel asked me to find an injured Security Man anywhere in Kashmir Valley and prepare a story on him. Every time I send them a story based on facts, they distorted it and presented it from the prism of terrorism, he said.
I resigned from the job in protest against the role this fanatic channel played in kindling and then promoting a campaign of blind nationalism. This Channel is doing disservice to its own people and misleads them about Kashmir. This Channel runs fabricated stories on Kashmir to appease a section of people. My conscience didnt allow me to report false stories for them, Naseer Ahmed said and added that IBN7 has no transparent and stringent system and it follows blind nationalism when it comes to Kashmir.
I made up my mind soon after they asked me to prepare a fabricated story about stone-pleters. They asked me to report in such a way as it looks stone-pelters are getting money from Hurriyat leaders, he said.
Pertinently, majority of the Indian news channels are being accused of twisting facts when it comes to Kashmir. Some were even accused of fanning fire and running a hate campaign against Kashmir as a result the incumbent State government directed cable operators in Kashmir to stop airing them.
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