Police halt reporters' symbolic attempt to reach Kashmir

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 25 August 2019

Pakistani police halted a protest by journalists attempting to reach Kashmir to report on its situation. The region has faced severe restrictions since August 5.

Summary

CHINARI, Pakistan — Pakistani police have stopped hundreds of journalists from symbolically trying to cross the highly militarized border into Indian-controlled Kashmir. The journalists’ leader, Zafeer Baba, said Saturday’s protest was an attempt to report on the situation in Kashmir. India has imposed a sweeping media clampdown there since Aug. 5, when it downgraded the autonomy of the portion of Kashmir under its control. The region has since been under a harsh military curfew, with thousands detained and all communication and the internet cut. Authorities started easing restrictions last Saturday. Pakistani police officer Arshad Naqvi said the journalists’ vehicles were stopped around seven kilometres (four miles) from the Line of Control, which divides the Himalayan region. — AP

KEY POINTS:

• Hundreds of journalists attempted to cross into Kashmir for reporting.
• Pakistan police stopped them seven kilometers from the Line of Control.
• The protest aimed to highlight media restrictions in Kashmir.
• Kashmir has been under a military curfew since August 5.
• Authorities recently started to ease some restrictions in the region.