Srinagar, March,09 :
The Printer’s Association Kashmir has expressed grave concern over recent police raids conducted on the residence of a KT Press employee, Tariq Iqbal, following misleading information provided by a newspaper owner involved in a financial dispute. The association’s General Secretary called the night raid “extremely troubling,” as it was based on a mere financial disagreement.
The issue stems from a debt of approximately ₹6 lakhs owed by Ghazi Nasrullah, a newspaper owner, to KT Press. When press employees demanded the repayment, Nasrullah reportedly resorted to misleading the police by providing false information, leading to the harassment of employees through unlawful raids. This has sparked widespread discontent among the press community in Kashmir.
Notably, while there have been substantial financial transactions between printing presses and newspaper owners in the region, such actions have never been witnessed before. This incident, involving police being misled into taking action against press employees, is unprecedented.
The General Secretary of the Printer’s Association has stated that in light of this event, and similar incidents in the past, the association has given the administration a two-day deadline to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against Ghazi Nasrullah. He emphasized that the actions of Nasrullah, who is allegedly using false and misleading information to harass press employees, must be thoroughly addressed.
In response to the lack of action thus far, the Printer’s Association has made a decisive move. They have announced that if no investigation or action is taken within the next two days, all printing presses affiliated with the association will cease publishing newspapers in protest on Wednesday. The association further indicated that they will then determine their next course of action based on the outcome of the investigation.
The incident has put the Kashmir printing press community on high alert, and the association’s firm stand reflects the growing concern over the misuse of law enforcement to target press employees in the region.