Srinagar: Kashmir Press Club Monday condemned the beating of a journalist Saqib Majeed by cops in Srinagar.
According to Saqib, he was roughed up by cops while doing his job along Dal Lake at around 4pm. “When I reached near Makai Park, a police patrolling party was enforcing a lockdown and asking people to stay home. I was getting down from my car when a policeman headed towards me.
He said that he revealed his identity and showed an identity card but the policeman asked “don’t you know about the new order?”
In the meantime, according to Saqib, another policeman tried to snatch his camera but he resisted.
“They pounced on me and started beating me with punches, kicks and sticks. I was dragged across the road and they forcefully tried to arrest and was let go after sometime,” he told the Club soon after the incident.
The Club while expressing strong protest against this behaviour said that the attack comes when journalists are risking their lives amid the pandemic to keep the public informed.
Kashmir Inspector General of Police had assured by making a public statement that journalists/media workers are allowed to work amid the ongoing lockdown. “We demand action against the cops accused of violence against the journalist,” said the club management.
The KPC urged the LG and Director General of Police to look in these regular attacks on the press fraternity in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, The Journalist Federation of Kashmir also condemned the assault on the photojournalist.
“We strongly condemn today’s assault by police on Saqib Majeed and call on authorities to respect the journalist rights,” JFK tweeted from its official handle.
“There has been a disturbing pattern of targeting journalists and the state is yet to hold anyone accountable.”
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