CM announces revival of Kashmir Press Club

Over three years after the Kashmir Press Club (KPC) was shut down by the Jammu and Kashmir administration led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and its re-registration as a society was put in “abeyance,” efforts to restore the club are gaining momentum.

On Friday, the Office of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed on X that the KPC in Srinagar would be revived, stating that any attempts to politicise it would be thwarted. “An independent Press Club led by journalists themselves will be a big step for press freedom!” he added.

This statement followed Omar Abdullah's announcement on Thursday in the Legislative Assembly that the KPC would be restored. Since the beginning of the ongoing Legislative Assembly session earlier this month in Jammu, Valley-based opposition legislators have repeatedly raised the issue of the Press Club's revival.

PDP leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed Para, during the current session, urged the government to restore the Kashmir Press Club. He criticised the presence of a police station within the KPC building, describing it as an effort to “shoot the messenger” and muzzle the voices of Jammu and Kashmir. He referred to the building, which now houses J&K police offices, as a symbol of governmental overreach. The same demand was echoed by the Peoples Conference and Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party.

In response, the CM reiterated on Friday that the Press Club in Srinagar would be re-established. He revealed plans for journalists to hold elections to form a new managing committee, adding, “We believe that there should be one press club and the managing committee of the club will be decided by the Press of Kashmir.”

National Conference spokesman Imran Nabi welcomed the announcement, calling it a “much-needed step” to “rejuvenate journalism here and ensure journalists have the freedom to write and report stories without fear. Long-standing demand fulfilled.”

The KPC was put in abeyance by the authorities in January 2022 after the club announced its elections. Subsequently, a group of journalists took over its management, claiming that the elected body was “illegally occupying office” as their term had ended. The elected body, in turn, accused the group of a “takeover” with “open support from the local administration.”

Shortly thereafter, the J&K administration took control of the KPC, citing “unpleasant developments and dissensions between various groups of journalists.” This move was widely condemned by political parties and journalist bodies across India, with Omar Abdullah calling it a “state-sponsored coup.”

Journalists in the Valley are now awaiting the re-registration certificate from the government, which remains on hold. “The announcement by the CM is a positive development. We are waiting for the elected government to issue the re-registration certificate, which can then set further things in motion,” said a Srinagar-based journalist.