Pulwama, March 1: Pulwama Police has appealed to all media organisations, journalists, social media users, digital platforms and the general public to act with responsibility and discretion while reporting or sharing any information concerning law and order, security-related matters or public gatherings in the district.
This comes as the Shia Muslim community in the region mourned the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the airstrikes launched by the US and Israel.
The police urged the media to verify the contents through competent and authorised official sources and cautioned that rumours, unverified inputs, or speculative reports can cause avoidable alarm, create confusion among the public and negatively impact peace and normalcy.
Police advised the media to maintain professional standards and depend solely on authenticated updates released by the district police for the dissemination of information.
"Pulwama Police makes it clear that any person or organisation found deliberately circulating misinformation or attempting to disrupt public harmony through misleading content shall face appropriate legal action as per law," the police said in a statement.
"The cooperation of all citizens is solicited in ensuring peace, stability and communal harmony across the district," they added.
Members of the Shia community in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday staged a massive protest outside the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) headquarters in Srinagar following the news of the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israel-led strikes.
The protests were peaceful, with participants carrying pictures of Khamenei and banners supporting Iran. Black flags, portraits of the Ayatollah, and traditional mourning chants (Nauha) were witnessed on the streets of Srinagar.
Protests were also held in Bandipore and Ramban today. Protesters in Ramban raised slogans "Tum kitne Hosseini maroge...har ghar se Hosseini niklega (How many Hosseini will you kill, from every home, a Hosseini will rise." They also burnt an effigy of US President Donald Trump during demonstrations.
In Bandipore, protesters carried portraits of the late cleric, expressing grief and condemnation over the incident. Earlier similar protest was carried out in Budgam and Srinagar over the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader.
Protesters raised anti-US and anti-Israel slogans, expressing solidarity with Iran and condemning the attack.
The wave of protests and mourning reflected the deep religious and political resonance of Khamenei's leadership among Shia communities worldwide.
