(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 5 February 2003 letter to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, CPJ condemned the murder of journalist Parvaz Mohammed Sultan, editor of an independent wire service based in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State. On the evening of 31 January, Sultan, editor of the News and Feature Alliance […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 5 February 2003 letter to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, CPJ condemned the murder of journalist Parvaz Mohammed Sultan, editor of an independent wire service based in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State.
On the evening of 31 January, Sultan, editor of the News and Feature Alliance (NAFA), was shot dead by an unidentified gunman. Two men entered Sultan’s office at around 5:30 p.m. (local time), according to news reports. After a brief conversation with Sultan, one of the men shot him in the head. The Associated Press (AP) news agency reported that the killer used a pistol equipped with a silencer. No one stopped the assailants from leaving the premises, which is located in the press enclave in central Srinagar.
Though Sultan was rushed to the hospital, doctors declared the journalist dead within minutes of his arrival, police told the AP.
Sultan, 36, was known as an independent journalist who had worked for several local Urdu-language dailies during his career. In addition to running NAFA, he contributed investigative stories and columns to the Urdu-language newspaper “Chattan”, one of the oldest newspapers published in Kashmir.
Journalists working in the disputed territory of Kashmir, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan, have long been vulnerable to attack by various parties to the conflict. Sultan’s colleagues told CPJ that though they were not aware of any specific threats against Sultan, wire service agencies such as NAFA are under constant pressure to carry statements issued by competing political and militant groups.
Police blamed the murder on militant groups but have not yet carried out a thorough investigation. No group claimed responsibility for Sultan’s murder, and many of the leading militant organizations, including Hezb-ul Mujahedeen, condemned the murder, as did the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, the main separatist alliance.
Kashmiri journalists expressed frustration that Sultan’s murder would remain unsolved, like the cases of other slain colleagues. According to CPJ’s records, nine other journalists have been killed in Kashmir since 1989, when the conflict there became a full-fledged civil war. No one has been brought to justice for any of these killings.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the prime minister:
– urging him to ensure that a vigorous investigation is undertaken so that Sultan’s killers may be brought to justice
– recalling that all journalists are vulnerable when attacks against the press can be committed with impunity
– asking to be kept updated about the status of the investigation into Sultan’s murder
Appeals To
His Excellency Atal Behari Vajpayee
Prime Minister, Republic of India
Office of the Prime Minister
New Delhi, India 110 011
Fax: +91 11 301 6857Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
