By: Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted search raids on the Greater Kashmir office premises, journalists, human rights activists and other individuals across Kashmir on Wednesday, inviting sharp reactions and criticism from different quarters of the society.
Raids were conducted at the office of newspaper
Greater Kashmir at Press Colony, house of a Journalist Zaheer Ahmed at Magarmal Bagh, NGO Athrout office in Nawakadal Srinagar, H.B Hilton House Boat at Nehru Park and residence of human rights activist Khurram Parvez at Sonwar, Srinagar.
A team of NIA also raided the flat of senior Journalist Parvez Bukhari at Naaz Colony Pantha Chowk in Srinagar outskirts. Bukhari is associated with International Media Outlet AFP and is the resident of Rawalpora Srinagar.
The NIA teams were assisted by para-military troopers and local Jammu Kashmir Police.
Social media users are describing these raids as an attempt to ‘scare and harass’ those who don’t want to fall in line with the official narrative on Kashmir.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter and tweeted: “At a time when J&K’s land & resources are being plundered, GOI wants media publications to write op-eds about diabetes & yoga. In BJP’s ‘all is well’ charade, truth is the biggest casualty. Any journalist unwilling to become a part of Godi media is targeted.”
Mehbooba Mufti also wrote: “NIA raids on human rights activist Khurram Parvez & Greater Kashmir office in Srinagar is yet another example of GOIs vicious crackdown on freedom of expression & dissent. Sadly, NIA has become BJPs pet agency to intimidate & browbeat those who refuse to fall in line.”
Senior Journalist Anuradha Bhasin shortly after the NIA raids tweeted that: “NIA raids on GK office and HR defender Khurram Parvez’s house are attempts to impose silence even on our whispers (and they’re scared of even that). This comes a day after the disempowering land laws. Can this be just a coincidence?”
Well placed sources told news agency KNT that raids were also conducted in Hyderpora, Pantha Chowk and Bandipora areas.
Sources added that NIA raided a building in Hyderpora Srinagar which is owned by one Ghulam Qader Malik. The said building is being used on rent basis by an organization called Association of Parents for Disappeared Persons (APDP).
(KNT)