Condemning the assault on journalists during a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the ‘indiscriminate use of force will always be counterproductive.’
Taking to Twitter, Omar termed the incident as ‘highly unfortunate’.
“Highly unfortunate reports about journalists injured, including some with pellet injuries, while covering clashes in South Kashmir. I condemn this incident. The indiscriminate use of force, often without any accountability, will always be counterproductive,” Omar tweeted.
Highly unfortunate reports about journalists injured, including some with pellet injuries, while covering clashes in South Kashmir. I condemn this incident. The indiscriminate use of force, often without any accountability, will always be counterproductive.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 22, 2019
Reporters Without Borders or Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), an international body for journalists, has called upon the Indian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the pellet firing at journalists in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
In a statement on Twitter, RSF said the government forces’ violence’ against Kashmiri photojournalists is ‘unacceptable.’
“Unacceptable violence by #India’s security forces against photojournalists covering a gunfight in south,” RSF tweeted.
“We call on #indian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on this blatant attack on press freedom. #JournalismIsNotACrime,” it tweeted.
Various Kashmiri journalist associations have also condemned the attack.
