FOR REVIEW

After the government announced new media policy in Jammu and Kashmir almost all the political parties barring BJP have asked for its review or roll back. In the recent past many political leaders asked the government to look at all the aspects of the new policy as it is going to strangulate press freedom.

In this direction Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) leader and former minister Mohammad Ashraf Mir urged the J&K government to go for a review of proposed media policy in consultation with representatives of the media fraternity.

In a recent statement, he said the policy related to media in J&K seems to have been superficially drafted without taking into consideration the fundamental constitutional requirements guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression.

“How can the government authorize the bureaucrats to squeeze the spirit of the fourth estate under the garb of a policy which has apparently been drafted without consulting the editors’ bodies or association of accredited journalists in J&K?” the JKAP leader asked.

Many other political leaders have expressed similar sentiments about the new media policy and have asked for immediate review. Media industry in Jammu and Kashmir is already facing a lot of problems especially financial problems as in the past ten months due to the disruption in life they have suffered a lot. In such circumstances, it is expected from the government not only to have the review but also to have an overall view for the survival of the media fraternity in Jammu and Kashmir.