Press Club President demands inquiry into attack on media

Srinagar, Jul 24: In a disturbing incident that has drawn sharp condemnation from the journalistic community in Kashmir, a group of junior doctors at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital allegedly assaulted several journalists, both male and female, who were covering a protest staged by doctors themselves. The incident has triggered outrage and calls for immediate action to safeguard press freedom in the region.
The attack reportedly took place on the hospital premises where junior doctors were protesting against the alleged manhandling of one of their colleagues by an attendant in the emergency ward the previous night. As the situation escalated and a crowd of anxious attendants struggled to communicate with the protesting doctors, a few journalists who were documenting the unfolding events became the target of physical aggression by the medics.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, senior journalist and President of the Press Club of Kashmir, Muhammad Saleem Pandit, condemned the assault in unequivocal terms. “This was not merely an attack on individual journalists, it was an attack on the institution of media in Kashmir,” he said, visibly anguished by the incident.
Muhammad Saleem Pandit, a respected voice in the media fraternity, said that the journalists present at the scene were carrying out their professional duties when they were heckled, pushed, and even dragged by some of the protesting doctors. He emphasized that no justification exists for such behavior, especially within a government institution where public accountability is paramount. “It is shocking that even female journalists were not spared,” he said.
He called for a thorough and time-bound inquiry into the incident and urged the principal of Government Medical College Srinagar to take immediate disciplinary action against those involved. “The medical community must remember that accountability is not one-sided. When the media is fulfilling its responsibility of reporting, it must be ensured a safe and respectful environment,” Pandit remarked.
The president of the Press Club further warned that if the situation is not handled appropriately and tensions between the media and medical professionals continue to rise, the Press Club of Kashmir would be forced to escalate the matter to higher authorities, including the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Expressing unwavering solidarity with the victimized journalists, Saleem Pandit affirmed that the Press Club of Kashmir stands firmly with its fraternity and would not tolerate any attempts to muzzle the press under the guise of protest or chaos.
The Press Club’s General Secretary, Zulfikar Majid, also expressed concern and urged immediate intervention to restore dignity and safety for media personnel operating in sensitive environments such as hospitals and public institutions. [KNT]