Srinagar: The Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, announced Friday that Srinagar Press Club will be revived and the efforts made to politicize him will be defeated.
Taking social networks on Friday night, he said: “An independent press club led by journalists will be a great step for press freedom!”
Omar, however, did not mention whether the Kashmir Press Club (KPC) in Pole Ground that closed in 2022 would be returned to journalists, or an alternative space to the media would be provided. Currently, a police station works from the KPC facilities.
In 2022, the administration of LG had closed KPC, a movement that opposed the main press organizations throughout the country.
On March 19, the Democratic Party of the Opposition Peoples (PDP) and the Conference of Peoples (JKPC) had expressed concern about the KPC police acquisition. The PDP legislator Waheed Rehman Parra had said in the Assembly that after the abrogation of article 370, the media were the largest victim in Kashmir, and that the Cashmira press club should be restored to journalists. Turning KP into a police station was an attempt to stop the press and shoot the messenger, he said.
Previously, on March 7, CM Omar had said that his government was committed to reopening the press club. He told the Assembly that he will take concrete measures to relive and support the press club in Jammu and Srinagar.