Ganderbal: The Ganderbal Press Association strongly condemns the incident of alleged misbehavior and attempted phone snatching by certain PDP workers during the party’s youth convention held at the residence of Bashir Ahmad Mir in Kangan.
President of The Association Said, Despite being officially invited to cover the event, some of our Members were misbehaved, During the live coverage, one of our reporters was approached, misbehaved with, and had his mobile phone nearly snatched while on duty. Such acts are not only unacceptable but also pose a direct threat to press freedom and the dignity of working journalists.
Journalists do not represent any political party; we stand for impartial, free, and fair reporting in the interest of public awareness. It is highly condemnable that instead of ensuring safety and cooperation, some PDP workers chose intimidation and abuse.
The Association has decided to boycott any coverage of PDP activities in Ganderbal unless the party publicly apologizes for the incident and takes strict action against the individuals involved.
We also appeal to PDP President Ms. Mehbooba Mufti to personally intervene in the matter, address the misconduct, and reassure the journalistic fraternity that such incidents will not be repeated in the future.
The President further added, Journalists do not represent any political party. Our role is to report facts truthfully and independently. Attempts to suppress or influence media coverage through intimidation will not be tolerated.