Srinagar- The ousted managing body of the Kashmir Press Club on Monday said the installation of a group of journalists as an interim body was done with the ultimate goal of shutting down the club.
It reiterated that journalists in the Valley will confront these challenges .
“It seems the ultimate goal was to shut down the Kashmir Press Club and for this purpose, they tried to install a group of journalists. By this action, they wanted to stifle the voice of journalists that resonated through the forum called Kashmir Press Club, the only democratic and independent journalist body in Valley,” Ishfaq Tantray, general secretary of the ousted body, said in a statement.
Short statement here👇#Kashmirpressclub pic.twitter.com/YgURvfXL0e
— Ishfaq Tantry (@ishfaqtantry) January 17, 2022
“But it is our firm belief that our journalists are capable and professional enough to keep the flame glowing and confront these challenges ahead. I want to reiterate that journalism thrived in Kashmir and it will survive all crests and troughs in the future as well,” he added.
it justified the move saying while the last elected body ceased to exist after July 2019 as no elections were held, the other group of journalists had taken over the club without following due process.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday announced taking back the land and building housing the Kashmir Press Club.
KPC Crisis Seem To Be Orchestrated: Mehbooba
Meanwhile PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged that the crisis in the Kashmir Press Club seemed to be orchestrated in order to shut down the institution which had served as a medium for journalists to debate and discuss issues freely.
Her comments came after the Jammu and Kashmir administration said the Kashmir Press Club has ceased to exist as it took back the premises allotted to the largest journalists’ body in the Valley following dissensions between two factions, one of which had tacit support from the government.
“It seems that the coup & its aftermath was entirely orchestrated to shut down another outlet that served as a medium for journalists to debate & discuss their opinions freely. With every passing day all the safety valves to express dissent are being muzzled,” Mehbooba tweeted.
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