Ahmer Khan, the Kashmiri reporter has been declared the winner of the 2019 Agence France-Presse Kate Webb Prize for his exceptional reporting during the ongoing lockdown in Indian occupied Kashmir.
What is the award? The prestigious award is named after one of AFP’s finest correspondents and recognises journalism by locally hired reporters in Asia who are reporting amongst risky and difficult conditions. Who is Ahmer Khan? Ahmer Khan, a 27 year old freelance journalist, was honoured for a series of videos and written reports that highlighted the aftermath of India’s decision to strip Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status in August – with a focus on the impact on locals living in Muslim-majority areas.
“Reporting from Kashmir at this time has been extremely challenging for everyone, including the established foreign media,” said AFP’s Asia-Pacific regional director Philippe Massonnet. “For an independent, local journalist those challenges have been far greater, and it is to Ahmer’s enormous credit that he managed to provide accurate, high-quality journalism when it was so sorely needed.”
On learning of his win, Khan said: “This is a real honour, and a huge motivation to carry on my work with enthusiasm and determination.”
“I want to dedicate this award to the courageous and resilient journalists from Kashmir who have been reporting in extremely difficult conditions for the past six months. This is a collective award.”