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MEDIA

Kashmiri media is Sultan’s arrest is a part of the pat- and interrogated on July 14 and 15 and reflect the situation as it exists

“It is difficult to work in this en-
But for the journalists in Valley,
this year over an interview with the vironment. One cannot report fairly
tern. Over the past two years, Sultan separatist leader Asiya Andrabi.
on the ground,” said a journalist who
is the third journalist who has been
Sultan’s father Saida said his son
in the cross-hairs picked up by the law enforcement is being framed. “My son is a jour- did not want to be identified.
nalist, nothing else. He is being pun-
“If this goes on, journalists in Val-
agencies for their objections to
their work. Earlier, it was Kamran
ley will be reduced to covering the
ished for his work,” Saida said.
Yusuf and Auqib Javeed who were
On September 10, various jour-
government and development ac-
questioned by the National Investi-
What makes the situation fur-
Press Enclave in Srinagar against
gative Agency (NIA). In fact, Yusuf, nalist bodies staged a protest at tivities only. This has to be stopped.”
a photojournalist, was detained for Sultan’s arrest. International jour- ther fragile is that there is still no
Arrest of journalist Asif Sultan of ‘Kashmir Narrator’ has led to widespread protest six-month before being released in nalist advocacy groups like Com- trace of who killed Bukhari and
in the valley. Journalists feel that they are being unnecessarily targeted on flimsy charges, March 2018. Similarly, Auqib Javeed, mittee for Protection of Journalists why? Police have blamed Lashkar-
reports RIYAZ WANI a journalist with ‘Kashmir Observer’ (CPJ) and International Federation i-Toiba and identified three of its
of Journalists (IFJ) have already is-
was also summoned to New Delhi
militants who have allegedly car-
ried out the murder. But Lashkar on
n August 31 night, a its part has vehemently denied any
large contingent of J&K Journalists want role in the killing and compared po-
police laid a siege of lice investigation in to the case of a
the house of Asif Sul- clarity on who killed “Bollywood movie.”
O tan, a journalist with a Bukhari and so far Three months after the mur-
local magazine ‘Kashmir Narrator’. der, police are yet to produce the
Some personnel scaled the wall and the inability of the charge-sheet in the case. “We are
entered the house. They went to Sul- police to unravel trying the loose ends in the case.
tan’s home and arrested him. They And, it may take a little more time
also seized his laptop and phone. the conspiracy before we complete it,” said a senior
His family said that Sultan was in has made the police officer associated with the
police custody for six days before he probe.
was formally arrested. “He was not environment Journalists want some clarity on
produced in court for six days,” said fraught for media who killed Bukhari and so far the
the father, Mohammad Sultan Saida. inability of the police to unravel the
According to the police, they conspiracy has made the environ-
have seized “incriminating mate- sued statements condemning the ment fraught for the media in Kash-
rial” at Sultan’s home which estab- arrest. Both the organisations didn’t mir. This has created a sense of siege
lishes his complicity in “harbouring buy the police charges pressed on where journalists are feeling sand-
known terrorists.” Sultan. wiched between two hostile forces:
On September 8, a court in Sri- “Police should immediately Government on one hand and the
nagar sent Sultan in 15 days judicial release Asif Sultan from jail and militants on the other.
custody. He has been shifted to Sri- halt efforts to pressure him to “Freedom of speech cannot be
nagar Central Jail. Police have told reveal sources or become an in- suspended even if the assembly is
the court that Sultan was in touch former,” said Steven Butler, CPJ’s in suspended animation,” the pow-
with a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Asia programme coordinator, in a erful Kashmir Editors Guild said in
Abbas Sheikh and provided him statement. a recent statement in response to
“all the possible help to carry out “By reporting on militant activ- the increasing pressure on the local
terrorist activities.” Police have also ity, Sultan is performing an impor- media.
accused him of “glorifying” mili- tant public service, not committing “The newspapers have routinely
tancy through his news reports. The a crime.” started getting notices to explain
trigger for his arrest is said to be the Such intermittent arrests and things that have gone in to print,
cover story on the slain militant questioning of the journalists in there are very disturbing reports
commander Burhan Wani that he Kashmir have created fear among about reporters being asked to
wrote for the magazine in July. the media fraternity. Journalists disclose sources, something that
worry that the Government wants has not happened even during the
• Media gag Journalist Asif Sultan was to drastically circumscribe what emergency.”
arrested from home for his alleged should be reported and what should
complicity with terrorists be left out. LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

TEHELKA / 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 36 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 37 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

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