Jailed Kashmiri journalist wins US media award

HELD SRINAGAR: Illegally detained Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan, 38, was awarded the Press Freedom Award by American National Press Club.

The National Press Club announced that it was giving its annual John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award this year to a journalist in Kashmir jailed for nearly a year for his reporting. Aasif was arrested on the intervening night of 27 and 28 August last year on fake charges. The accusations are rubbished by his colleagues as well who say the police action was meant to intimidate not just Aasif but the entire journalist fraternity in Kashmir.

Parents of Aasif Sultan who has been in jail for almost a year now in Srinagar Saturday learnt their son had won a prestigious award two days after the announcement. They, however, were clueless about the name of the award or who has given it thanks to the communication restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Someone told me that my son had been given an award this week. I don’t know who has given it or what does it mean for his case but whoever has taken this step I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart,” said his father Mohammad Sultan, a retired government official.