Srinagar: The Press Club of India has expressed concern over the “searching of journalists’ computers, hard discs and pen drives” at the Srinagar office of the Greater
Kashmir newspaper by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) .
The searches were a “matter of great concern, and is so glaringly contrary to the spirit of ensuring media freedoms by governments, ” a PCI statement said.
As per the PCI, the proprietor-editor of GK was summoned to New Delhi along with other senior officers of the company
and grilled in New Delhi by the NIA about a year ago.
“No further action followed. That would suggest that nothing out of the ordinary has emerged in the investigation. In light of this, it is extraordinary that it should now be the turn of journalists. It appears they are being targeted for being journalists. If there is
any other purpose, it is far from clear, ” it added.
The PCI said that under the media-related laws of JK, journalists have come to face “routine harassment as individuals going about their professional work”, which it said was regrettable.
The club has called upon the authorities to “revise their approach to the profession of journalism”.

Reader correspondent