IWPC slams action against 3 journalists in J&K

The Indian Women's Press Corps on Wednesday expressed shock over three journalists being booked by law enforcement authorities in Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that the action was aimed at "striking fear in the hearts of journalists".

The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) has been used against freelance photographer Masarat Zahra, a fellow woman journalist. The act was meant to deal with hardened terrorists, the IWPC said in a statement.

It also noted that FIRs have been lodged against Peerzada Ashiq, a reporter with The Hindu newspaper based in Srinagar, and Gowhar Geelani, a freelance journalist.

The IWPC said it is shocked at the manner in which law enforcement authorities in Jammu and Kashmir, over the last few days, have invoked laws to clamp down on freedom of speech and expression that violate fundamental rights laid down in the Constitution.

"The intentions of the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir is to strike fear in the hearts of journalists who are simply doing their job. This is a clear message that the Union Territory will not tolerate dissent," the IWPC said.

"Masarat Zahra had only posted some pictures on social media. Peerzada Ashiq had just filed a report, while Gowhar Geelani's commentary attracted the displeasure of the government," it said.

The IWPC said it hopes that these strictures are withdrawn at the earliest.

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday had also expressed concern over the "high-handed manner" in which the law enforcement agencies in Jammu and Kashmir used prevailing laws to deal with Zahra and Ashiq.