'Withdraw surveillance directives': Civil liberties body condemns J&K curbs on press freedom

By A Representative 

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has condemned the Jammu and Kashmir administration for issuing district-level orders that it says amount to surveillance of working journalists and a denial of press freedom. In a statement released on Thursday, PUCL said the directives issued by various District Information Officers (DIOs) seek intrusive personal details from journalists, including salary statements, appointment letters and academic qualifications, under the pretext of preventing impersonation and curbing criminal activity.

According to PUCL, the orders began after an October 30 directive issued by Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari, Joint Director Information, Kashmir, asking DIOs to verify and document all media persons in their districts. The instructions require the creation of a “verified list” of accredited and authorised journalists and mandate that government information be shared only with those on the list. DIOs have also been told to “keep a close watch” and report anyone allegedly misusing media identity or criticising officials for “private gain”.

PUCL said these sweeping district-level restrictions — reported from Shopian, Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipore — severely curtail journalists’ access to official briefings and meetings. They privilege accredited reporters while offering little transparency on how accreditation is granted, and they intrude on journalists’ privacy by demanding financial information. The organisation argued that assigning surveillance powers to DIOs, who are otherwise responsible for providing information under the RTI Act, turns them into instruments of control rather than transparency, raising questions of excessive and unconstitutional delegation of authority.

The civil liberties group warned that the guidelines do little to curb fake news and instead criminalise legitimate reporting. It said the directive undermines the role of freelance reporters and stringers, who form the backbone of ground reporting in the Valley, by advising editors to engage only “qualified, credible and verified” correspondents. PUCL noted that freelancers in Kashmir already work under precarious conditions and such orders make them more vulnerable.

The organisation also criticised the linkage of these instructions to the Media Policy–2020, which governs advertising empanelment and allows the administration to withhold government ads from outlets publishing what it terms “anti-national” content. PUCL said this policy has been used to reward compliant media houses and weaken independent journalism.

Calling the directive the latest in a series of steps to curb press freedom since the abrogation of Article 370, PUCL cited instances of internet shutdowns, raids on newsrooms, arrests under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and detentions under the Public Safety Act. It pointed to cases where journalists were prevented from travelling abroad, summoned for questioning or subjected to surveillance, creating an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship.

PUCL said the government should instead focus on building trust with the media and ensuring free flow of accurate information, which is central to a functioning democracy. It demanded that the administrative orders be withdrawn immediately, that the information department end surveillance and policing of journalists, and that transparent and fair accreditation processes be established. The statement called for an end to unofficial blacklisting and intimidation of media houses and urged that DIOs be directed to carry out their primary role of disseminating information to all citizens, including independent journalists.