Authorities should stop harassing journalists and employees of Greater Kashmir newspaper, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said.
Quoting news reports the CPJ said in a statement said that Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo, the editor-in-chief of the privately owned newspaper, one of the leading dailies in Jammu and Kashmir, was questioned for nearly a week by National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Quoting The Telegraph, it said Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo was first summoned for questioning to the NIA’s New Delhi office on June 28. When he did not appear, the CPJ said, the NIA called him directly, and he presented himself to the agency on July 1.
Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo was questioned for six days at the NIA’s headquarters about articles published in Greater Kashmir during 2016 unrest.
The Quint reported that Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo was also asked about his income, properties, and trips abroad, said the CPJ statement, quoting news reports.
“Extensively questioning an editor about the content of published news stories goes way beyond any legitimate role for law enforcement and will only put a further chill on press freedom in Kashmir,” said Steven Butler, CPJ Asia program coordinator, in Washington, D.C. “…National Investigation Agency should halt the investigation of Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo and Greater Kashmir immediately.”
The Telegraph also reported that the general manager of the newspaper, Rashid Makhdoomi, was summoned and questioned by the NIA.
Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo declined to speak to CPJ, the release by CPJ said, adding NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal did not respond to CPJ’s text message requesting comment on the questioning of Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo.
In February, Jammu and Kashmir government stopped buying space for advertisement with Greater Kashmir, as well as another leading daily, the Kashmir Reader, CPJ reported. Newspapers in Jammu and Kashmir are dependent on government advertisements in absence of a robust private industry, one local editor told CPJ at the time.
This was earlier published by G K and re-published here in public interest with the intention of dissemination of information
https://kashmirpatriot.com/2019/07/10/apdp-welcomes-un-report-on-human-rights-violations/
