Kashmir Press Club building handed over to J&K Police, Govt. tells Assembly

It’s official that the building of Kashmir Press Club (KPC), Srinagar, which also housed a gym and a library, has been handed over to the J&K Police.

Opposition decries takeover of Kashmir Press Club building, offices by police in Srinagar

The government, in response to a question submitted by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed-ur-Rehmaan Parra, told the J&K Assembly that the premises was formally allotted to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the State Investigation Agency (SIA), a special cell of the J&K Police, on September 21, 2023.

The government said the building, Bungalow No. 9-B at Poloview, Srinagar, was handed over to the Press Club based on verbal directions following an announcement by the then Chief Minister (Mehbooba Mufti) during a Budget session. 

“However, no formal orders were ever issued to grant official possession. In 2022, the building was reclaimed by the government after a reference from the Directorate of Information,” the government reply claimed.

The government said a fire incident gutted a building that housed key police offices, including the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) City East, Srinagar, in 2023. “As a temporary measure, these offices were relocated to Bungalow No. 9-B,” it said.

The government reply stated that it was committed to providing “suitable space for the Press Club to enable its smooth functioning”.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on March 20 told the J&K Assembly that his government would re-establish the Press Club and “a fair election would be held to elect its members”.

Several offices of the media houses, which included The Asian Age, The Tribune and BBC, were also taken over by the J&K Police at the Press Enclave in Srinagar after 2019, as the Centre revoked special status of J&K.

The Press Club saw its first ever election in 2019 after the Mehbooba Mufti government handed over the building to journalists. The J&K administration in January 2022 put in abeyance the registration of the Kashmir Press Club (KPC), at a time when it was preparing elections.

The Press Club had around 300 journalists registered with it. Many independent and freelancers operated from the Press Club and also attended exercises to upskill themselves. The Press Club was critical of the Lieutenant Governor administration over the issues of press freedom and arrests and summoning of journalists post-2019.