Srinagar, Jan 18 (KNS): Chairman People's Democratic Front (PDF) Hakeem Yaseen has flayed government decision to take over Kashmir Press Club (KPC), describing it a blatant move to throttle freedom of press.

In a statement issued to KNS, Hakeem Yaseen while criticising government for closing down Kashmir Press Club arbitrarily, said that the decision amounts to an onslaught on the working of press. He said closing KPC was aimed at to impede facilities provided to media persons to work in a free atmosphere. He said press was fourth pillar of democracy adding that by closing KPC, JK Union Territory has brought bad name to India- the largest democratic country, in the free world order.

PDF Chairman said that the KPC had been established after putting a long struggle by the Kashmir journalist fraternity, which has been ruthlessly trampled by the I'll conceived policies of the present dispensation. "It was heart-wrenching that Instead of providing more facilities to media in Kashmir, existing press infrastructure was being clipped slow and steady in a planned manner to satiate vested political interests," Hakeem Yaseen observed. He has demanded that the premises of the snatched KPC should be restored immediately as the media in Kashmir was already working under immense stress. (KNS)