Pulwama journalist says forces snatched his camera, phone during gunfight

PULWAMA — A photojournalist based in Pulwama on Saturday alleged that his camera and phone was snatched by government forces while he was in Ganowpora area of Shopian to cover a gunfight.

As per a statement from Pulwama Journalists Federation (PJF), a newly formed association in the southern district, photojournalist Reshi Irshad said that his camera and phone was snatched by the forces while he was heading towards the area (Ganowpora Shopian) where the gunfight had erupted on Friday.

“I was told to visit police station for collecting my belongings, but I didn’t stop to keep asking them to handover the camera and phone,” he said.

Irshad said that his belongings were returned only after he waited for more than five hours outside a Police Station in Shopian.

Taking note of the alleged incident, PJF’s interim president said that such an incident shouldn’t have happened at the first place.

“We have been doing our job professionally and expect the security forces ito facilitate our movement. Even if the journalist was inching closer to the gunfight site, he should have been asked to draw back without being harassed like that,” Nisar Ul Haq said.

The PJF’s interim president along with other members have expressed strong protest against this behaviour, saying that the ‘attack’ comes when journalists are risking their lives amid the pandemic to keep the public informed.

PJF statement said that its president has taken up the incident with concerned authorities and requested to investigate the matter.

The PJF members also urged LG and Director General of Police to look in these incidents on the press fraternity in Kashmir.