Afghan media groups unite to defend rights

The federation will work to protect journalists after withdrawal of foreign forces.

ISLAMABAD: Media outlets in Afghanistan have enjoyed a considerable amount of freedom over the past 10 years. However, journalists expect they will face challenges following the expected withdrawal of foreign forces next year.

Keeping this in mind, nine Afghan journalist groups have joined hands and formed a federation to defend their rights, support freedom of expression and resist any attempts to suppress the independence of media.

Media practitioners in the war-torn country routinely complain of threats and acts of violence against them. Afghan security officials in Jalalabad recently beat up seven journalists, cameramen and photographers and broke their equipment.

Journalists had rushed to the site to get information about an attack on a local office of the Afghan intelligence, the National Directorate of Security, by a Taliban bomber.



However, security forces beat the media personnel with rifles, took away their equipment and insulted them, the Independent Association of Authors and Journalists said in a statement.

Recently, the Afghan Attorney General’s office summoned renowned writer and poet Partow Naderi to Kabul over his analysis of a report. The report said Daud Ali Najafi, the incumbent head of transport and aviation, claimed Naderi played a major role in the second term election of President Hamid Karzai.

Explaining the formation of the Federation of Journalists of Afghanistan, Afghanistan Independent Journalists Union President Khpalwak Safai said: “Afghanistan is in a transitional period and journalists had been concerned over possible challenges, especially after the withdrawal of Nato forces. We do not want to lose the freedom we have experienced in the last 10 years and will fight to protect it.”

Safai is the news manager of a TV channel and a founding member of the new federation. “We had serious concerns that the government can gradually introduce new laws or change the current laws for possible restrictions on freedom of expression. Now journalists will be in a strong position to resist any such attempt,” he told The Express Tribune via phone from Kabul.

The unity of Afghan journalists will send a positive message to the government, the political opposition and the armed groups, Safai added.

“I have been arrested twice by American troops. I have been beaten by the Taliban and my camera was snatched. Intelligence agencies have detained me six times,” said another journalist, Syed Abdullah Nizami.

Nizami is a stringer for Al-Jazeera and other Afghan media outlets. “Everyone wants to use journalists for their interests. Warlords, members of parliament and the Taliban – all are to be blamed for creating difficulties for us.”

Nai, a media advocacy group in Afghanistan, maintains lack of access to information and lack of employment laws for media outlets are the main problems for media and journalistic activities in the country.

According to Nai, 58 TV channels and 154 radio stations currently operate across the country in addition to the hundreds of print media outlets.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2013.