KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The Himalayan region of Kashmir Sunday woke up to a morning without its newspapers after the PDP-BJP coalition government decided not to allow the media houses based in Kashmir to print the newspapers.
Following mass uprising since July 8, 2016 evening which was triggered by the death of militant commander Burhan Wani in South Kashmir. The day coincided with third Eid-ul-Fitr when Muslims in the region were yet rejoicing with the festivities.
On Fri-day-Saturday mid-night, police raided major printing press offices in summer capital and seized thousands of copies and arrested their machine men and other staffers.
Expressing dismay and condemning the attack of freedom of press, an emergency meeting of Srinagar based Editors/Owners was held in Mushtaq Ai Enclave on Saturday afternoon.
After deliberating on the press emergency, Ms Mehbooba Mufti led government through its spokesperson directed the meeting that her government was not going to allow any circulation of newspaper at least in coming three days. The government said that “it fears protests aimed at subverting peace”.
After government, for the first time formally declared that media was banned in Kashmir, the journalist fraternity held a protest demonstration on deserted Residency Road outside the press enclave.
Regretting to their readers the breakdown in circulation of newspapers, the editors, however, assured them as soon as the emergency on press is lifted, they shall resume the work.
After the protest demonstration was over, majority of the media houses closed down their offices and the staff was driven home amid strict curfew. But the major newspapers uploaded their online version late in the night. A few newspapers uploaded their e-papers with black front pages and others kept it black and white as a token protest.
