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Government urged to improve access to information for the media
Marking International Day for Universal Access to Information, a number of media advocates on Wednesday called on the government to do more to ensure this right in the country.
At an event organized in Kabul to celebrate the day, advocates also urged government to set up a commission on access to information.
“The purpose of the event is to call for reactivation of access to information commission like how it was in the past, and every institution should be responsible to give information to journalists,” said Ali Akbar Asghari, a member of Afghanistan Journalists Federation.
Some journalists complained about lack of access to information. They mentioned challenges they face while making reports especially at the scene of incidents.
“When we go out to make a report, IEA forces create problems or ask us to provide a letter from the Interior Ministry or police HQ,” said Sayed Omar Sahak, a journalist.
“The government’s spokesmen don’t cooperate well with the journalists, and they don’t give first-hand information to local journalists,” said Abdullah Azizi, a journalist.
IEA reiterated that it is committed to ensuring freedom of speech, and said that the recently concluded government accountability program was evidence of the commitment to right to access information.
“Fortunately, we haven’t had any journalist deaths since IEA took over. IEA is committed to ensuring the rights of journalists and media persons, and it fully supports freedom of speech and media activities,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of IEA.
Ten people were killed by unknown individuals in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
The incident happened as the victims were doing Zikr at a mosque in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district, police said in a statement.
The statement said that they used to regularly go to mosques and monasteries at night after returning from work.
Abdul Ghayoor Khadim, a provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, adding that an investigation was launched.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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