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Afghan government drops controversial media law amendment
Proposed amendments to the media law, which were introduced to parliament last month, have been recalled by President Ashraf Ghani.
This move comes after media outlets objected to the proposed changes which would have required journalists to disclose their sources and allow the government to censor news reports.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) on Sunday welcomed the president’s move to drop the proposed amendment, which they said would have had a negative effect on media freedom in the country.
This move by the president comes after an outcry by media support organizations, media outlets, and journalists last month. Together they sent an open letter to the government calling for the amendments to be dropped.
Among the proposed amendments was a measure that would require journalists to reveal their sources to government bodies, including the security services.
Also, the rights of media outlets and journalists would have been affected, as would the independence of National Radio and Television (RTA). The government would also have been able to censor stories before and after publication and government monitoring organizations would have been given increased authority.
The proposed amendments would also have allowed for media outlets to have their licenses revoked in the absence of transparency regarding financial resources.
However, a major outcry by the media in Afghanistan was unleashed last month when the proposed amendments were tabled to parliament.
In the wake of this, the government established a 12-member technical team to review the amendment initiative. After several meetings, the team voted against the amendments.
“We welcome the technical committee’s decision to vote against the amendment and the government’s commitment that the initiative will not go ahead,” AFJC director Ahmad Quraishi said.
“At a time when the government is preparing for the peace talks with the hardline Taliban group, any amendment to the media law would have had serious consequences for media freedom in Afghanistan, adding to the growing insecurity and attacks that affect media outlets and journalists in the country,” he said.
The current media law was enacted in 2006 and has 54 articles. The proposed amendments were in contravention of articles 7, 34, 120, and 122 of Afghanistan’s Constitution.
Article 34 of the Constitution says: “Freedom of expression shall be inviolable. Every Afghan shall have the right to express thoughts through speech, writing, illustrations as well as other means in accordance with provisions of this constitution.”
It also stipulates that “every Afghan shall have the right, according to provisions of law, to print and publish on subjects without prior submission to state authorities. Directives related to the press, radio, and television as well as publications and other mass media shall be regulated by law.”
Azerbaijan has released 14 Afghan nationals from its prisons, Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
The ministry said in a statement that the release happened following efforts by Afghanistan’s embassy in Baku.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation to Azerbaijan and relevant authorities for their cooperation and humanitarian action. It also reaffirmed that the IEA will continue to follow up on and resolve the cases of Afghan prisoners.
Former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says Washington is largely satisfied with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) efforts against terrorism, though progress in broader relations remains hindered by the issue of prisoners.
In an interview with NDTV, Khalilzad said the United States views the detention of at least two American citizens in Afghanistan as the primary obstacle to improving ties.
Khalilzad highlighted what he described as a “significant degree of satisfaction” in the U.S. assessment of the IEA’s counterterrorism commitments under the Doha Agreement. He said the IEA continue to fight Daesh, a group they have long considered an enemy. Many Daesh militants, he added, have been pushed out of Afghanistan and are now in Pakistan.
At the same time, Khalilzad said concerns remain regarding human rights and the political role of non-IEA Afghans.
The Ministry of National Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected recent accusations made by Pakistani officials following a deadly attack at a mosque in Islamabad, calling them “irresponsible” and “baseless.”
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif wrote on X that preliminary findings suggest the suicide bomber had been on the move to and from Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan Defense Ministry, Pakistan’s defense minister “immediately and irresponsibly” blamed Afghanistan for the attack without conducting proper investigations. Afghan authorities noted that this pattern has been repeated in the past, particularly regarding incidents in Balochistan and other security events inside Pakistan.
The ministry stated that linking such attacks to Afghanistan “has no logic or foundation,” adding that these statements cannot hide Pakistan’s internal security failures or help solve the underlying problems.
“If they were truly able to identify the perpetrators immediately after the incident, then why were they unable to prevent it beforehand?” the statement asked.
The Afghan government emphasized its commitment to Islamic values, stating it does not consider harm against innocent civilians permissible under any circumstances and does not support those involved in illegal acts.
The statement urged Pakistani security officials to take responsibility for their internal security shortcomings, review their policies, and adopt a more constructive and cooperative approach toward both their own citizens and neighboring countries.
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