The development comes after former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti raised the matter of journalist repression in Kashmir.
After Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti submitted a letter to the Press Council of India, the PCI ordered the formation of a three-member fact-finding team to look into the issue of journalists’ ‘intimidation’ and ‘harassment’ in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Fact-Finding Committee
According to a PCI directive, a three-member fact-finding committee would look into the matter through its established procedure.
Prakash Dubey, Convener and Group editor of Dainik Bhaskar, Gurbir Singh, Journalist at The New Indian Express and Dr Suman Gupta, Editor at Jan Morcha are among the members of the fact-finding team.
The PCI asked the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to provide this Fact-Finding Committee with full cooperation and support in the exercise of its duties.
According to the directive, the Fact-Finding Committee must conduct a comprehensive investigation into the situation, hold discussions with the relevant authorities and affected journalists, and gather all relevant evidence before submitting its findings to the Council as soon as possible.
Mehbooba Mufti hails PCI’s decision
Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti commended the PCI for forming a fact-finding committee for probing media harassment in J&K.
I am grateful to the Press Council for forming a fact-finding committee to investigate journalist harassment in J&K, Mehbooba said while reacting to the development.
She hoped that the local government provides complete cooperation, so that this committee may carry out its duties.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mehbooba Mufti wrote a letter to the PCI on Monday, requesting it to inquire about the ‘harassment’ and ‘intimidation’ of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir.