The Press Council of India (PCI) took note of the concerns raised by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and decided to constitute a three-member panel to probe the “harassment” and “intimidation” of journalists. Jammu and Kashmir.
The three-member panel includes Prakash Dubey, Convener and Group Editor, Dainik Bhaskar, Gurbir Singh, Journalist, The New Indian Express., and Suman Gupta, Editor, Jan Morcha.
“The Hon’ble President, Press Council of India has constituted a three-member fact finding committee taking suo motu cognizance of the communication of Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, President PDP regarding intimidation and harassment of journalists in J&K,” it wrote. . PCI in a letter.
grateful for @PressCouncil_IN For his decision to set up a fact-finding committee to probe harassment of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir. It is hoped that the local administration will ensure their full cooperation so that this committee can discharge its duty. pic.twitter.com/gYiqXlCbJL
— Mehbooba Mufti (@Mehbooba Mufti) September 29, 2021
In a letter to the PCI and the Editors Guild of India on September 27, Mehbooba Mufti had called for “intimidation” and “spying” of Indian journalists. He wrote: “Fundamental rights like freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the Indian Constitution have been increasingly attacked, especially in the last two years, by a hostile and unsafe system. [in J&K]”.
The PCI in its letter said that the officers of J&K should “provide full cooperation and assistance to this committee in the discharge of its function”.
PCI further said, “The committee is required to conduct a thorough investigation of the matter, hold discussions with the concerned officials and affected journalists and collect such information as it may deem fit to submit its report to the Council at the earliest.”
Earlier in September, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had detained Shaukat Matta, editor of Kashmir Narrator, Mir Hilal of TRT World and HuffPost, and freelancers Azhar Qadri and Abbas Shah in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 2020.
.