STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Kashmir based newspaper editors and owners staged a demonstration against police raids being conducted on all the printing presses.
Condemning the action of government which resulted in breakdown of newspaper circulation, the participants dubbed it as an attack on the freedom of press and vowed to fight it back at all costs.
Meanwhile, a government spokesperson who was contacted during the protest informed that in view of apprehensions of serious trouble in Kashmir valley in next three days aimed at subverting peace strict curfew will be imposed and movement of newspaper staff and distribution of newspapers will not be possible.
Taking the statement of the government into consideration, the protestors felt that it is not possible to publish the newspapers in view of this direction of the state government.
However, newspaper editors apologized to the readers for the breakdown of the newspaper publications claiming that it was beyond their control.
They condemned the aforesaid ban of the government claiming it to be reprehensible and against the norms of a democratic set up.
The editors assured the readers that as soon as the government lifts the press emergency, they will resume publications.
Meanwhile, Kashmir’s leading newspapers said that JKP raided their office on Friday midnight, seized their printed copies and arrested their employees.
According to Kashmir Times, over 20 policemen raided its office at Rangreth area in Srinagar outskirts at midnight and arrested its printing press foreman Fayaz Ahmed and ten other employees.
“The Policemen seized the metallic printing plates of Kashmir Times and more than 70,000 printed copies of Kashmir Times and closed down the KT Printing Press,” the newspaper said.
“Cops misbehaved with the employees present there and snatched their cell phones. The employees who tried to resist were beaten up by the policemen,” the newspaper said.
Another leading newspaper, also said that police raided its printing press at 2:00 AM, seized its printed copies at midnight and detained persons. Police also seized copies of another leader English daily Rising Kashmir early this morning and raided its press at Sheikhpora (Budgam).
“A police party from Budgam police raided the press to seize the copies of Rising Kashmir and other publications,” the newspaper claimed. “As the staff had left after printing the copies, police took into custody all the employees including its Foreman Mohammad Yousuf and asked him to identify the distribution site.”
