Media gag likely to continue in Valley till February 15

, Feb 12: An unofficial

gag order has been continuing in the Valley since the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on Saturday. No newspapers have been published here for the last three days and the big news have been restricted from being reported. Sources said the prohibition is likely to remain in force till Friday.

Online editions of various newspapers are although available but partial withdrawal of the Internet services has affected their reach. This is the third instance in five years when local dailies have been suspended owing to government's restrictions. The last such instances occurred in 2008 and 2010.

Besides the gagging of the media, Kashmiri journalist Iftikhar Gilani, son of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani, was also detained for hours along with his family, soon after Guru's execution. The junior Gilani has often been stopped from carrying out his professional duties.

The Press Council and Editors Guild have expressed concerns over the detention of Gilani and also imposing restrictions on the media in the Valley following Guru's execution.

OneIndia News