Jammu and Kashmir: FIR against news channels who labelled slain maulana a 'terrorist'

A local court in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district has directed the police to register an FIR against several national news channels for falsely portraying an Islamic seminary teacher as a ‘Pakistani terrorist’ during their coverage of Operation Sindoor.

The directive, issued on 28 June, follows a plea filed by the family of Moulana Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a 47-year-old teacher at a respected Islamic seminary in Poonch.

Iqbal was killed on 7 May in cross-border shelling — while he was out purchasing food for his students.

Three students were also injured by the shelling from across the border by the Pakistani army.

Shortly after the incident, several national television channels aired sensationalised reports claiming that Iqbal was a ‘notorious Lashkar-e-Taiba commander’, allegedly involved in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. These claims sparked outrage in the local community and prompted the Poonch Police to issue a strong denial.

“The Poonch Police strongly refutes such false narratives. The deceased, Maulana Mohammad Iqbal, was a respected religious figure in the local community and had no affiliation with any terror outfit,” the police said in an official statement.

Iqbal’s family, devastated by the misinformation, approached the court seeking accountability for what they called “deliberate character assassination”.

In response, sub-judge and special mobile magistrate Shafeeq Ahmed ordered the police to file an FIR against Zee News, News18 India and various unnamed editorial staff involved in broadcasting the defamatory content.

“We are determined to fight this injustice,” said Tariq Manzoor, the nephew of the deceased, speaking to National Herald.

“Our Shaheed Iqbal-sahib

was an innocent man, a scholar and a pillar of our community. It is outrageous that these media houses branded him a terrorist without any evidence. We are ready to take this battle to the Supreme Court if necessary.”

Manzoor also condemned the channels for airing graphic footage of Iqbal’s body, while falsely identifying him as a terrorist mastermind.

“It still haunts us. They showed his bloodied body and claimed he was behind Pulwama. They even accused him of brainwashing students into joining terror groups. These lies have deeply wounded our family and community. We demand that the broadcasting licences of these channels be revoked.”

The case has reignited debates around media ethics, misinformation and the need for stronger accountability mechanisms for news organisations.

A for Ashoka, B for Bully