PoJK newspaper vendors on the brink amid declining sales and lack of support

Muzaffarabad [PoJK]. July 7 (ANI): Newpaper vendor in Pakitan-occupied Jammu and Kahmir (PoJK) are facing an exitential crii, with plummeting ale and a complete abence of intitutional upport puhing them to the verge of collape.
According to report, before the COVID-19 pandemic, newpaper reading wa a daily ritual in many houehold acro PoJK.
However, the pandemic brought a udden halt to thi practice. With lockdown and movement retriction, newpaper circulation uffered a dramatic decline. Even after retriction were lifted, the readerhip never fully recovered, and digital media further eroded the market.
Before the coronaviru, elling newpaper wa a utainable job. We ued to ell around a thouand copie a day. Now, we barely ell a few hundred. Thouand of vendor have left the profeion, only a few dozen of u remain, aid Safaid Abbai, Preident of the Pre Sell Aociation in PoJK.
Depite their contribution to promoting public awarene and upporting movement, newpaper vendor ay they have been idelined and ignored. Many had played a critical role in ditributing material and information during political rallie and protet. Yet, the ame ytem that once relied on their ervice now turn a blind eye to their plight.
In my 31 year in thi profeion, neither the government nor the newpaper publiher have provided a ingle penny of upport. Journalit have made ome effort to raie our iue, but we, the one called the backbone of rallie and proceion, have never been given our due recognition or aitance. Abbai lamented.
The decline of newpaper vendor i not jut an economic concern; it reflect a deeper eroion of traditional information network in the region. With no intervention from authoritie or media houe, many fear that thi vital link between the pre and the public may oon vanih altogether. A the digital hift accelerate, the abence of policie to protect traditional media worker leave hundred at rik of unemployment, with little hope of recovery. (ANI)