The Press Club of Kashmir strongly condemned the alleged attack on social media journalists by a group of junior doctors at SMHS Hospital on Thursday.
The incident allegedly occurred during a protest by doctors, in which a dispute took place last night after a attendant from a attendant in the emergency ward of the hospital.
According to reports, the journalists who reached the hospital were physically opposing doctors to cover the revelation situation. Eyewitnesses said that doctors worked aggressively, tried to pull journalists away from the scene, even female journalists faced manhandling.
In response, Mohammad Salim Pandit, president of the Press Club of Kashmir, strongly condemned the attack. He said, “This was not only an attack on some journalists, but an attack on the entire Kashmir media,” he said while addressing media professionals at the Press Club.
Pandit called for a fair investigation into the incident and emphasized the need to ensure a safe working environment for journalists reporting from the ground.
He warned that if the administration of the Government Medical College does not take concrete steps to reduce the situation and to make responsible persons accountable, the Press Club will be forced to extend the case with high officials.
Pandit also expressed solidarity with the attacked journalists and confirmed the Press Club’s commitment to defend the rights and dignity of media professionals in Kashmir. “We will stand with our colleagues at all costs,” he said.
The Press Club’s statement comes amid increasing concerns about the safety of journalists working in sensitive and unstable situations across the region.