Scrapping 167 journalists' accreditation cards worrying Says Editors' Council

The Editors' Council through a statement on Tuesday said the indiscriminate cancellation of press accreditation cards of 167 journalists creates a risk of leading to a regulatory environment with censorship in the media, which is also against the original spirit of the July-August mass movement.
The Press Information Department (PID), which falls under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, while formulating a list of cancellations in three phases included the names of many active journalists and editors, according to the statement.
The Editors' Council said it believes that the information ministry reserves the right to review any misuse of accreditation card, but such random cancelation of press accreditation cards without having specific allegations and proof of offenses is a threat to the freedom of the press and also an impediment to ensuring a democratic environment.
"The Editors' Council sees this as a recurrence of the undemocratic practices of the past authoritarian structure," the statement said.
Keeping this in view, the council urged the information ministry to refrain from taking such indiscriminate actions without specific allegations and proof of misdeed.
The Editors' Council also called for taking steps to stop all types of attacks on the media and ensure independent and democratic journalism.