The Press Club of India today said the searching of journalists’ computers, hard discs and pen drives at the Srinagar office of the Greater Kashmir newspaper, the largest English daily of Kashmir, by the NIA recently was a matter of great concern.
“It is so glaringly contrary to the spirit of ensuring media freedoms by governments,” the PCI said in a statement.
“The proprietor-editor of GK was summoned to New Delhi along with other senior officers of the company and grilled in New Delhi by the NIA about a year ago. No further action followed. That would suggest that nothing out of the ordinary has emerged in the investigation. In light of this, it is extraordinary that it should now be the turn of journalists. It appears they are being targeted for being journalists. If there is any other purpose, it is far from clear.
“Under the media-related laws of the UT of JK, journalists have come to face routine harassment as individuals going about their professional work. This is regrettable and the Press Club of India calls upon the authorities to revise their approach to the profession of journalism,” the statement signed by Anand K Sahay, President PCI, and Anant Bagaitkar, Secretary General PCI said.