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Senators call on govt to take all necessary steps to safeguard journalists
Senators in the Meshrano Jirga, the Upper House of Parliament, said Sunday government needs to step in and take constructive steps to safeguard the lives of journalists.
They said the spate of targeted killings of journalists in the past few months is shocking and government needs to clarify its stance.
Some senators stated that the attacks on journalists is an attack on freedom of expression and the voice of the people, and this great achievement should not be sacrificed.
“The continuation of targeted killings, especially of journalists, has caused serious concern among the people, and the government should take all possible measures to prevent the killing of journalists, and if the Taliban is not involved in these cases, the government need to find clues as to who assassinated the journalists,” said Meshrano Jirga Speaker Fazl Hadi Muslimyar.
“Regarding the terrorists, I must say that the press is the fourth pillar of the system. They [journalists] are trying to provide awareness to the people, and the enemies are trying to target them, and the government must take serious measures to ensure the security of journalists.” said Sayed Safiullah Hashimi, another senator.
“The killing of journalists and the country's elite is shocking, and the government must take a stand to protect the lives of journalists, and the perpetrators of the murders of journalists must be punished and it must be determined who are behind these assassinations," said Mohammad Hanif Hanafi, another senate member.
“The Meshrano Jirga is in support of journalists and calls on the government to create a course of action for the safety of journalists to ensure their security, and we will issue a statement in support of journalists.” Muslimyar added.
This comes after five journalists have been killed in the past two months alone - each in a separate attack.
So far no group has claimed responsibility.
However, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a statement on Sunday that its forces foiled an assassination attempt against a Khost journalist.
According to the NDS, the Haqqani network, in collusion with other terrorist groups, is seeking to target media activists and recently hired two people to assassinate a TV reporter in Khost. However they were arrested by security forces before executing their plan.
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.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says the acting government is committed to supporting media outlets and they can operate within the framework of Islamic Sharia and national interests.
Marking World Television Day on Thursday, November 21, Mujahid said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan supports the media in general. Media can operate within the framework of Islamic Sharia and national interests.”
“As far as we are able, we cooperate with the media and the Afghan media currently have publications and they are broadcasting their publications well,” he added.
The United Nations General Assembly named November 21 as World Television Day in 1996.
“Since IEA’s takeover, of 184 national and local televisions, 57 television stations were shut down due to economic problems,” said Hojatullah Mujadadi, the head of Afghanistan Free Journalists' Association (AFJU).
Currently, about 370 visual, audio and print media are active in the country.
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