Violence against the Press

Under threats of violence from the terrorists, the circulation of national newspapers in the valley has been banned. Frequently, such bans are also imposed on local newspapers that are not seen to toe the line. Offices of the Srinagar-based papers have been frequently subjected to attacks and bombings. By killing the highly respected editor, of a local Srinagar Daily, 'Al Safa' and the Director of the local television station, the lethal nature of these threats was reinforced. The terrorists have thus tried to ensure that the Press in the Valley is effectively gagged.

This is yet another example of the gross violation of the rights to life, freedom, vocation and information in the Kashmir Valley.


 
Kashmir Information Network
Auschwitz in Kashmir
Case No.: 1 
Date: 1.5.90 
Place: Srinagar 
Following threats of 'Hizb-ul-Mujahideen' against the circulation of National and Jammu newspapers in Kashmir, news agents decided not to bring any paper for distribution in Valley.

Case No.: 2 
Date: 2.10.90 
Place: Dalgate, Srinagar 
Explosion in the house of Sofi Ghulam Mohd, Editor, Daily 'Srinagar Times'. Car and garage damaged.

Case No.: 3 
Date: 5.10.90 
Place: Badshah Chowk, Srinagar 
Arson in the office of Daily 'Srinagar Times'. Extensive damage was caused to the office building.

Case No.: 4 
Date: 10.10.90 
Place: Badshah Chowk Srinagar 
Arson again in the office of 'Srinagar Times', causing further extensive damage.

Case No.: 5 
Date: 4.11.90 
Place: Gowkadal, Srinagar 
A powerful explosion damaged the printing press of Daily 'Aftab', which also caused extensive damage to the press building. Loss estimated to be Rs. 50,00,000.

Case No.: 6 
Date: 20.12.90 
Place: Srinagar 
Pro-Pak extremist group imposed ban on the entry of English dailies, 'Kashmir Times' and Excelsior', published from Jammu, into the Valley. The ban was later lifted on February 10,1991.

Case No.: 7 
Date: 1.3.91 
Place: Srinagar 
'Hizb-ul-Mujahideen' (Nasir-ul-Islam) threatened the newspapers which were advocating the solution of the 'Kashmir issue' on the basis of give and take. 

Muhammad Shaban Vakil, Editor, daily 'Al Safa', was killed by terrorists in Srinagar on April 23, 1991.

Case No.: 8
Date: 23.4.91 
Place: Srinagar 
Mohd. Shaban Vakil, Editor, Daily 'Al-Safa', was shot dead in his office. 

Case No.: 9 
Date: 15.5.91 
Place: Srinagar 
The'Hizb-ul-Mujahideen' (Nasir-ul-Islam) had imposed restrictions on the publication of any statement of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Rasool Kar and their other colleagues.

Case No.: 10 
Date: 7.10.91 
Place: Srinagar 
'Mahaz-e-Islami' imposed ban on Delhi published Urdu periodical 'Al Risala' for depicting Kashmiri terrorists as terrorists.

Case No.: 11 
Date: 10.9.91 
Place: Pulwama 
Pro-Pak 'Hizb-ul-Mujahideen' sent a letter to the news agents of Pulwama district, threatening stern  action for not giving bold coverage to the activities of HuM.

Case No.: 12 
Date: 18.2.92 
Place: Srinagar 
A grenade attack in the house of Yusuf Jameel, BBC Correspondent. The outer wall of the house was damaged.

Case No.: 13 
Date: 31.3.92 
Place: Srinagar 
A grenade attack in the house of Yusuf Jameel, BBC Correspondent, resulting in some damage.

Case No.: 14 
Date: 1.4.92 
Place: Srinagar 
Pro-Pak 'Hizb-ul-Mujahideen' banned the entry of Delhi edition of 'Indian Express' into Kashmir Valley for covering anti-terrorist write-ups. The outfit further directed its correspondqnt George Joseph to leave Kashmir within 48 hours for publishing 'anti-movement' articles. He is now based at Jammu.

Case No.: 15 
Date: 18.4.92 
Place: Srinagar 
J&K Liberation Army Force imposed a ban on the publication of all Government/private advertisements in 'Srinagar Times'. It also threatened to take action against 'Al Safa' news and imposed a fine of Rs. 1,00,000 on these papers for defying its instructions.

Case No.: 16 
Date: 2.5.92 
Place: Pampore, Pulwama
Copies of the local Urdu daily 'Aftab', were set ablaze by a group of terrorists, alleging that the paper was 'anti movement'.

Case No.: 17 
Date: 2.5.92 
Place: Srinagar 
JKLF banned circulation of the 'Sunday' weekly published from Calcutta, in the Valley on the ground that it projected JKLF as pro-Government. The journalist Ms. Shiraz Sidhva was also barred from visiting the Valley despite Shiraz writing several articles durlng 1991-92 putting forth the terrorist point of view. (JKLF has since rescinded its order on Shiraz Sidhva).

Case No.: 18 
Date: 14.5.92 
Place: Srinagar 
'Al Umar Mujahideen' imposed a ban on the entry of periodical 'Sunday Times' into the Kashmir Valley.

Case No.: 19 
Date: 16.10.92 
Place: Srinagar 
Syed Ghulam Nabi, Joint Director Information, J&K, was kidnapped and held captive for four days and subjected to torture before being killed.

Syed Ghulam Nabi, Joint Director of the Department of Information, was shot dead by the terrorists. He had earlier been abducted on October 16, 1992.

Case No.: 20 
Date: 23.10.92 
Place: Safakadal, Srinagar 

Terrorists opened fire on a group of journalists.
Kashmir Information Network
Auschwitz in Kashmir