‘Allow foreign scribes to report in Kashmir’
SRINAGAR: The mainstream and separatist leaders expressed concern over foreign correspondents not being allowed to report in Kashmir. The foreign journalists, who plan to report on Kashmir and visit the places in the valley, have to seek special permission from the Union government.
“Imposing arbitrary censorship and disallowing foreign journalists from visiting Kashmir reflects Delhi’s desperation to keep foreign media off from reporting ground reality of Kashmir, especially the worst state repression being unleashed on people here,’’ tweeted Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Annie Gowen, the India bureau chief of the Washington Post had earlier tweeted that she was in Kashmir to attend a wedding of a friend, but couldn’t report on Kashmir as the Union ministry of external affairs and the ministry of home affairs had not given the special permit, which is required for foreign correspondents. Gowen said that she had applied for permission on June 22.
Reacting to Gowen’s tweet, National Conference (NC) vicepresident and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah termed it an achievement of the BJP’s Kashmir policy. “Has the situation in Kashmir deteriorated to such an extent that we are now afraid of letting foreign correspondents report freely from Kashmir? Another crowning achievement of BJP’s Kashmir policy, ably assisted by its partners-in-crime, PDP,’’ he tweeted.