Closing of KPC a big blow to freedom of press: Hakeem

Srinagar : Chairman People’s Democratic Front (PDF) Hakeem Yaseen has flayed government decision to take over Kashmir Press Club (KPC), describing it a blatant move to throttle freedom of press.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, ‘while criticizing government for closing down Kashmir Press Club arbitrarily said that the decision amounts to an onslaught on the working of press. Closing KPC was aimed at to impede facilities provided to media persons to work in a free atmosphere and press was fourth pillar of democracy.’
He further added that closing KPC in J&K Union Territory has brought bad name to India- the largest democratic country in the free world order.
Hakeem said that the KPC had been established after putting a long struggle by the Kashmir journalist fraternity which has been ruthlessly trampled by the ill-conceived policies of the present dispensation .
” It was heart-wrenching that Instead of providing more facilities to media in Kashmir, existing press infrastructure was being clipped slow and steady in a planned manner to satiate vested political interests”, Hakeem Yaseen added.
He has demanded that the premises of the snatched KPC should be restored immediatelyasthe media in Kashmir was already working under immense stress .