Srinagar, July 10: The media in Indian Kashmir have decided to suspend publication for one more day and mediamen staged a sit-in to protest against the curbs imposed by the government of the region.

The Indian Kashmir government on Wednesday imposed media gag after enforcing tougher curfew in the region to quell protests over killing of teenagers and youngsters. At least four civilians including a 25-year old female were killed in police and paramilitary soldiers firing in Batamaloo and Maisuma areas of Srinagar, the summer capital of India capital, on Tuesday.

To prevent people from taking to roads, authorities imposed tougher curfew. The mediamen were not allowed curfew passes to discharge their professional duties. Owing to the curfew and tougher security restriction, no local English and Urdu newspaper could be published for third day in succession on Saturday.

This was for the first time after 2008 land row agitation that newspapers could not be published in Indian Kashmir owing to curfew and media curbs. During the land agitation row, the newspapers in Indian Kashmir could not be published for eight days owing to security restrictions.

Although the curfew was relaxed yesterday evening for 24 hours but the newspaper as a mark of protest suspended their publication on Saturday.

The editors, working journalists, photo journalists and video journalists held an emergency meeting on Saturday afternoon to discuss the prevailing media curbs imposes by the authorities. “We have decided to suspend publication till Sunday and will review the situation tomorrow,” a joint statement issued said.

It said government should guarantee the security and safety of the journalists and should not hamper them from discharging their professional duties. “We will again meet tomorrow to chalk future strategy,” the statement said.

At least 15 journalists including some photo-journalists were injured in police and paramilitary action on Tuesday. The journalists were covering clashes between angry youth and soldiers in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir.

Meanwhile, most of the journalists of Indian Kashmir representing various local, Indian and international print and electronic media staged a peaceful sit-in demonstration to protest the media curbs.

Tying a piece of black cloth around their mouth and wearing black arm bands, the media men staged a peaceful-sit and demanded that the media curbs be lifted. They demanded that they be allowed to discharge their duties in professional manner without any hurdles.

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National Turk / India – Faiz Ahmad

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