SRINAGAR Srinagar based journalists and editors and owners of several newspapers and media houses Tuesday staged a silent protest rally here, demanding an independent, fair and credible probe into killing of noted journalist Shujaat Bukahri.
Holding placards and banners reading slogans in favour of their slain colleague and against BJP MLA Lal Singh, they demanded authorities to come up with the facts about the killing of Bukhari.
The journalists assembled at press enclave here and took out a rally before staging a sit-in protest at historic Lal Chowk near Clock Tower here. The placards read: journalism is not a crime; Ban weapons not words, and Assassins of free thinking will never succeed.
Some journalists had taped their mouths with black cloth to protest against the attempt to silence the press.
Singh had last week alleged that Kashmiri journalists have created an erroneous atmosphere and warned them to draw a line or face the same fate as Bukhari.
The sit-in and protest march was joined by all members of Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG), working journalists and several civil society members.
Bukhari, the editor-in-chief of local English daily Rising Kashmir, was killed by assailants in his car along with two security guards outside his office on June 14 evening.
While the police are yet to come to any conclusion as to who was behind Bukharis killing, the NHRC on Monday sent a notice to the chief secretary and the state police chief saying the incident was causing serious threat to free speech and freedom of the press in the state. The commission said it would also like to know as to what “special measures have been taken by the state government to stop such incidents” and added that the response was expected within four weeks. A number of senior journalists also addressed the protesters and demanded independent, fair and credible probe into the Shujaat Bukhari’s killing.
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