Skip to main content

Silencing free speech in Kashmir by India and Pakistan condemned


London (PR)
A human rights group has urged India and Pakistan to lift bans over
free speech in Jammu and Kashmir region.
“We are extremely concerned over the deteriorating situation of
freedom of expression in Kashmir where free speech is under extreme
threats”.
Said a statement issued by the Press For Peace(PFP) on Friday while
commenting over recent developments in Kashmir region.
The statement expressed deep concern over recent sanctions on civil
liberties imposed by India and Pakistan in disputed state of Jammu and
Kashmir.
It said that Indian government has harassed and intimated the users of
social networking media.
It added that the freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy
and freedoms; however, silencing the political dissidents in Kashmir
is against the basic human rights guaranteed by international
agreements and United Nations human rights charter.
In Indian Jammu and Kashmir authorities have launched a major
crackdown’ against facebook and other social media and various
citizens have been questioned for expressing their views about
different social and political issues.
“Such undemocratic measures should be stopped and people should be
given freedom to exercise their basic rights”, it added.
The statement also said that Pakistani authorities have already jammed
the mobile phone services in Gilgit Baltistan in the wake of recent
sectarian killings.
“Silencing the modern telecommunications like mobile phones by
Pakistani regime in its administrated Gilgit has worsened the public
life in the area."
The statement urged India and Pakistan to honour the aspirations of
the people in order to cultivate the democratic norms and healthy
culture of respecting divergent views.
It also called upon Islamabad and Delhi to lift all sanctions against
free speech in Kashmir.
(PFP News & Views info@pressforpeace.org.uk)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

End of boycott by media avoids a piquant situation, comes as a relief

GNS Jammu  Feb. 29, :  A strange situation which was unfortunately created by an affront by Presiding Officer of J&K Assembly to 4 th  Estate has finally been brought to close with media persons ending their protest. Peoples Democratic Party in the wake of this development expresses strong hope that not only will such piquant scenes be avoided. But it should augur well for the relationship of legislature and the  media.as  the latter ‘s role of public awareness and prevention of abuse in state-functioning cannot be underestimated. In a press statement a party spokesman said that PDP has always stood for free battle of ideas in which media has a significant place and they did not deserve the treatment that they met on publishing received information on alleged scams and misuse of authority by government functionaries and politicians .  The spokesman said when media rose against excessive behavior and uncalled for remarks  taking a princi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Corruption, attachments force DC Doda to order closing of Govt High School Gosti

By Tahir Mushtaq There is an old deep rooted nexus of corrupt clerks, which is active in ZEO and CEO offices and proving hindrance in the way to state government in its resolve to improve educations system in the Government schools.  The Chief Minister (CM), Omar Abdullah, himself is holding the charge of Education Department, some sort of drastic changes are expected and required to root out the nexus of corrupt clerks in education system otherwise, like Govt High School Gosti, other schools will have to be closed sooner or later.  GNS JAMMU, Apr 20: Unchecked corruption in education system and frequent attachments of teachers flouting all the set norms, by the officials of Zonal Education Office (ZEO) Thathri under the protection of Chief Education Office (CEO) Doda have forced the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Doda Farooq Ahmed Khan to order closure of a Government High School Gosti in view of extreme decline in students enrolment from over 150 last year to just 26 at...
Post a Comment
Read more

Water mapping survey disappoints state planners

Tahir Mushtaq  GNS JAMMU, Mar 03: The much awaited water mapping survey conducted to find new sources of ground water in Jammu and Kashmir by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has found that most of the water reserves are unsuitable for human consumption. Sources said that the remote sensing technology survey carried out by the government with the help of ISRO has found high level of iron and fluoride contents in the underground sources of water found in the state.  The report says that many of the newly found underground water channels have been found at inaccessible locations, which need sophisticated technology to extract, beyond the range of equipment what the engineers are using in the country at the moment. The report was recently submitted to the government by the space scientists.  Officials said that the survey has thrown open the fact that the people will continue to face drinking water shortage for decades to come, with more re...
Post a Comment
Read more