Kashmir Press Club loses its registration following a police report

The registration of the Kashmir Press Club has been revoked by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, citing an adverse report from the J&K police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The administration had given a re-registration of the Kashmir Press Club only two weeks before withdrawing it a day after the journalist association announced that the Press Club will hold elections.

Because of a delay in the re-registration process, the Press Club elections have been postponed. In July of last year, the government requested that the KPC apply for new registration.

KPC's management had declared that elections would be held on February 15. The elections are practically canceled now that registration has been suspended.

Since March of last year, the Information Department in Jammu and Kashmir has not given accreditation cards to journalists. This is the first time that no accreditation card has been provided to a journalist working in Jammu & Kashmir.

The verification certificate in favor of the administration of the Press Club has been put on hold, according to an order issued by the Registrar of Societies.

As per the order issued by the registrar, "It has been informed that the non-involvement/verification of Character and Antecedents issued on 24.12.2021 in respect of members of Managing Body of "Kashmir Press Club has been kept on hold, on the basis of report received from CID." 

According to the judgment, KPC was re-registered on December 29 following verification by Additional District Magistrate Srinagar on December 24, 2021. According to the order, on January 5, the magistrate sent a letter to the Registrar of Societies requesting that the registration be put on hold.

Elections of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and the High Court Bar Association have been postponed due to the administration's objections since August 2019, when J&K was stripped of its statehood and unique constitutional status.