Poonch: In a strong legal retaliation against what they termed as “irresponsible and slanderous reporting,” the family members of Qari Muhammad Iqbal, a government school teacher who died in cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces in Poonch on May 7, 2025, have served legal notices to Zee News and News18 India, demanding Rs 5 crore in compensation from each channel.
The legal notice as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust served through Advocate S S Ahmed, accuses the two leading news broadcasters of falsely portraying Qari Iqbal as a dreaded terrorist associated with proscribed militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. The channels reportedly aired segments claiming that Iqbal was on the NIA’s most wanted list, was instrumental in the Pulwama attack, and was killed by Indian Forces in a terrorist camp in Kotli, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Contradicting these claims, the notice underscores that Qari Iqbal was a respected teacher and a civilian casualty of cross-border shelling, who died at District Hospital Poonch on May 7. His family has termed the reports as a blatant fabrication, stating that no such version was ever confirmed by any official or government source.
Calling the broadcasts a gross violation of journalistic ethics, the notice highlights that the reports were aired in complete disregard of Press Council of India guidelines and government advisories, amounting to what the legal team described as “a textbook case of yellow journalism.” The defamatory content, they argue, has inflicted irreparable damage to the dignity of the deceased and caused deep emotional trauma to his surviving family members.
“The damage is beyond what any apology can repair. Only exemplary damages of Rs 5 crore each can indemnify the family for the pain and stigma caused,” reads the notice. The family maintains that branding an innocent civilian as a “Khoon Khaar Commander” without verification is not only unethical but criminally negligent.
The notice gives a deadline of three weeks to the managements of Zee News (Zee Media Corporation Ltd.) and News18 India (Network18 Group) to respond and take necessary corrective measures. Failing this, the family has warned of legal proceedings through competent courts of law. [KNT]
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